Ranma Foever
by Michael The-Zorch Haney
Summary: Ranma tries to cure his curse, but his actions will ultimately lead to major changes for the world as a whole.
1. Prologue

DISCLAIMER: "Ranma 1/2" is the registered trademark and copyright of Viz Communications, Kitty Productions, and Rumiko Takahashi. All rights reserved. "Tenchi Universe (Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki TV)" is the registered trademark and copyright of Pioneer, LDC, AIC, Inc., and Kajishima Masaki. All rights reserved. All other Anime and non-Anime characters who appear in this fic are the registered trademark and copyright of their respective owners. All rights reserved.  
  
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NOTES: This fic was originally a Ranma+Tenchi pairing but there were problems with the story and too many people thought it was too much like "Ranma and Tenchi: Together Forever". I noticed that there weren't many fics where Ranma was stuck as a girl that were really any good, or weren't really badly written Lemons. This idea crept into my head and I started writing. Many Ranma ½ purists have voiced many objections about my stories in the past, but its narrow minded think like that which stifles creativity. Most of my ideas come to me at the spur of the moment. That is where most of my fic ideas come from; spur of the moment inspiration. Originally this story was going to be a Ranma/Tenchi paring. Oh, there "will" be Tenchi elements in the story later on, so don't worry Tenchi fans! So, sit back, grab a Dew and enjoy!  
  
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R A N M A F O R E V E R  
  
by Michael "TheZorch" Haney  
  
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PROLOGUE  
  
"Akane, I love you, I want to marry you, but when I do I want to be a 100% man." he said. "I'm leaving for Josenkyo, when I come back I'll be a whole man again and we'll get married. I promise."  
  
Tears streamed down Akane's face as she let him go. She watched the love of her life walk through the front gates of the Tendo residence with his leather back pack slung over one shoulder. When he disappeared from sight the sudden urge to run after him became overwhelming. Akane leapt to her feet and ran, she ran for everything it was worth. She loved him, she loved everything about him, but most of all she loved both aspects of him. The curse didn't matter to her anymore, but she knew it did mater to him still. Faster she ran, she spotted him on the sidewalk walking away, she increased her speed, but the faster she went the further he seemed to go despite the fact he was only walking. Akane tried to cry out his name to make him stop, but her voice failed her. She could only watch as Ranma faded off into the distance and disappeared completely into a dark void beyond the horizon.  
  
Tendo Akane shot up in her futon, her body covered in sweat, her breath coming in quick pants. She had the dream again, that same horrible dream of Ranma walking away from her and never coming back. She had not had that dream in nearly ten years since Ranma said those words to her in real life and departed for China. He was supposed to return to her to marry her so they could finally enjoy a future together. It had taken almost two years but the constantly fighting couple had finally come to terms with each other's feelings. Akane was twenty six years old now and still unmarried, it was not because she did not try to land a husband, it was because she held so much hope on Ranma one day returning. As time went by that excuse began to loose more and more meaning. Perhaps he had not found a cure at Josenkyo and was looking elsewhere. He had said he would only return if and when he was a whole man again. But, it had been ten years, ten long miserable, lonely years.  
  
Well, Akane was anything but lonely these days. She still had her father who after so many years of living in loneliness finally remarried. Kogame was a beautiful woman, a wonderful cook, and perhaps the best thing that has happened to her father since his first marriage. When they married it was as if something that had been sleeping inside of the Tendo patriarch suddenly awakened. Tendo Soun reopened the dojo to accept students, and there was no end of a supply of them. People in Nerima remembered Saotome Ranma and knew his martial arts were akin to the Tendo style, so the students flocked to the dojo by the dozens. They actually had to turn people away they had so many.  
  
There was also Kasumi, Tofu Kasumi now. She and her husband of five years moved into the Tendo home. It was really Soun's idea for them to share the house, he wanted to try to keep the family together. Ono's clinic was not far from the Tendo residence and the house was larger than his own apartment. The only member of the family who had actually moved out was Nabiki. She lived with her husband of three years, Kuno Tatawaki. Akane was not surprised at that unholy union, the Mercenary of the Tendo clan and the richest mad man in all of Nerima. Of course the middle Tendo sister did not just marry into the Kuno clan just for the money, she and Tatawaki had enjoyed an on again off again romance since high school graduation. Over time the bokken wielding samurai wannabe lost his Akane obsession and began to devote himself totally to Nabiki. The Kuno patriarch, now the former patriarch, was enjoying early retirement in a state run mental institution after the Tokyo school board did a thorough review of child abuse and human rights violations at Furinken High. Responsibility for the holdings of the Kuno clan and all of its business dealings fell to Tatawaki, but in truth it was Kuno Nabiki who ran the whole show. What she did not count on was motherhood, but after the baby came Nabiki felt as if something that had been missing in her life was suddenly fulfilled.  
  
It was because of Nabiki that Akane had begun to have these dreams again. Ever since Ranma vanished the middle Tendo sister used whatever resources she could get her hands on to try and locate him. Year after year she failed, not due to a lack of trying, but do to lack of funds. Now, she had a virtually unlimited budget to work with and had teams of people out looking for Ranma's whereabouts. It was only a few weeks ago that Nabiki and her two year old son Kai came to visit the Tendo home with startling news.  
  
"Hi there, how's my little man." Kogame cooed to the little boy hugging Nabiki's waist after answering the ring at the front door. "Come to grandma." She held out her arms and the little boy reach out to her with a smile on his face. Nabiki smiled warmly at this sight. Unlike other families, the Tendo sisters accept Kogame immediately as their new mother. Her influence had a positive change over Soun, she had literally given them their old father back to them and for that they were eternally grateful.  
  
"Thank you, he's starting to get pretty heavy." Nabiki sighed with relief.  
  
"Well, he is a growing boy." Kogame smiled warmly and tickled the little boy in her arms. The toddler giggle and squirmed.  
  
"I literally had to pry him out of Tatawaki's arms." Nabiki said. "Who knew Kuno baby could be such a good father."  
  
"Well, I knew his mother." Kogame told her as she closed the front door and lead her daughter-in-law into the living room. "She wasn't exactly the best parent, so it is a bit of a surprise that he's so good with children."  
  
"Hi sis." Kasumi called from the kitchen.  
  
"Is that teriaki chicken I smell?" Nabiki asked her.  
  
"Yes, there is plenty if you plan to stay for dinner." Kasumi replied.  
  
"Oh please do, its so good when you visit and your father loves spending time with Kai." Kogame said pleadingly giving Nabiki her trademark "pout" that won them all over instantly.  
  
"Sure, why not." Nabiki shrugged and smiled.  
  
"Is Akane home?" she then asked.  
  
"She and that boyfriend of hers are in the dojo sparing." Kogame gestured towards the dojo. It was no secret that she did not like Ryoga very much, especially after learning about his little secret. P-Chan was not really a secret anymore. After Ranma vanished the pig-brained martial artist started coming around the dojo more often and quickly won Akane's heart, thought a part of her still pined away for Ranma. When she accidentally discovered his secret while on a date she was furious, declared she never wanted to see him again, and punted him into next Tuesday. Six months later the fires died down and a thoroughly humbled Ryoga came to her on his knees begging for forgiveness. It took three more months for Akane to finally accept his apologies, and forced him into what the family would call "The Promise". If she agreed to give him a second chance he had to promise to never again keep a secret from her, and give up his feud with Ranma forever. Years later the two were almost inseparable. It was her hidden desire to have Ranma back in her life that kept Akane from taking the relationship to the next logical step, marriage. That desire was loosing ground to her growing desire to marry the man she'd been dating for six years.  
  
"Then I'll go get them." Nabiki said walking towards the dojo. "What I came here to say concerns everybody."  
  
Under the constant tutelage of Hibiki Ryoga the youngest Tendo sister had become a fighting machine. Akane was still nowhere near Ranma's caliber but was light years better than she had been ten years ago. She was much faster, no where near Ranma's speed though, and lacked his special Amazon training. Ryoga did however, reluctantly, teach Akane the Bakusai Tenketsu "Breaking Point" technique that Cologne had taught him years ago. Because of her personality the Shi Shi Hokadon was useless to her, so Akane was working towards developing her own chi technique. When Nabiki entered the dojo she heard the sound of a body hit the floor, hard. She heard Ryoga's voice, a grunt of pain, then a few seconds later renewed violence. P-Chan, or was that Charlotte, and Akane were exchanging rapid fire blows and kicks at one another as they darted around the dojo floor. For a while, as she watched, neither fighter gave ground and were able to deflect every attack, counter every strategy. It was when Ryoga fainted a strike to Akane's right rib cage that he got the upper hand on her and took her out with a low sweep kick.  
  
"Got ya with that one." he said with a smirk.  
  
"You always get me with that one." Akane replied as he helped her to her feet. Akane spied Nabiki and quickly ran to her. "Sis when did you get here?" she asked cheerfully giving her sister a tight hug.  
  
"Hi Nabiki." Ryoga waved to her.  
  
"Hi P-Chan." she waved back getting a dirty look from the lost boy. "Me and Kai just got here."  
  
"Finally got him away from Kuno, eh." Akane grinned. She was the one who was the most surprised at Tatawaki's transformation from a poetry spouting pervert to Father of the Year. He still spouted poetry and thought of himself as a samurai, but he was one of the most devoted father's anyone had ever seen.  
  
"He bought his son his first bokken and samurai gi yesterday." Nabiki said. "You should have seen him, he was so cute. I'm having the pictures developed."  
  
Akane gasped with delight. "Oh, I wanna see them!"  
  
Nabiki quickly became very serious. "Akane, Ryoga, there is another reason why I came, lets go to the living room." They looked at her with apprehension then followed her to the living room. Nabiki only got this way when there was very good reason. Kogame and Kasumi were already there sipping some fresh green tea.  
  
"Where's daddy?" Nabiki asked as she sat down.  
  
"Oh you know your father, he's off doing something with that friend of his." Kogame replied as she cuddle Kai lovingly in her arms.  
  
"I guess we can tell him later." Nabiki sighed. Ranma's absence had not effected her father's relationship with Saotome Genma in any way. The panda-man was no longer living at the Tendo home though, he was moved back in with his wife.  
  
"So what did you want to tell us?" Akane asked, almost afraid of the answer.  
  
"I found him, or at least I think I found him." Nabiki replied.  
  
Kasumi gasped in surprise. "Oh my, you found Ranma?"  
  
"One of my teams faxed me a report, they were in the region around Josenkyo, Quing Ha province, when they ran into Cologne and a bunch of Amazons of all people." Nabiki told them. "Cologne herself confirmed that Ranma was living in Joketsuzoku and had been for the past six years."  
  
"Amazons, isn't that what that girl Shampoo was whom you said had to marry Ranma because he defeated her in battle?" Kogame asked Akane. The youngest Tendo sister nodded with a dark expression on her face.  
  
"Akane, I just can't believe that Ranma would lie to you and run off with her." Nabiki said reading the look on her sister's face. "He loved you with all his heart." Kasumi nodded in agreement.  
  
Akane sighed and relaxed some. Ryoga gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "But why is he there now, why didn't he ever call or write?" she asked, her voice quivering with emotion.  
  
"I don't know." Nabiki shook her head. "Cologne wouldn't let any of my people go to Joketsuzoku to see Ranma. She said if we wanted to see Ranma we'd have to go there ourselves."  
  
Akane looked up at this. "She said that?"  
  
Nabiki nodded. "Yes."  
  
"Oh my, it almost sounds like an invitation doesn't it." said Kasumi.  
  
"I may be your stepmother, but you're a grown woman now and if you want to go it's your decision I won't try to stop you." Kogame said to Akane.  
  
"A part of me still loves Ranma, I think I always will." Akane admitted. She saw the look on Ryoga's face and reached out to take his hand. "But so much has happened over the years, so much in my life had changed." she went on. "I want to move on, I want a close to that chapter of my life and to do that I need to find out why he never came back or never tried to tell me what happened to him."  
  
Ryoga squeezed her hand and saw the love in her eyes, love directed at him. "He owes you some kind of answer at least." Letting go of the old anger and hatred for Ranma had taken many years. The lost boy was still cursed, but his life was much better now than it had been when he was younger. At least now he did not have to hide his curse from Akane anymore.  
  
"I can have the family yacht and all the supplies we need for a trip to China in about four days." Nabiki told them.  
  
"We?" Akane looked at her questioningly.  
  
"I'm dying to find out what happened to him too." Nabiki admitted. "For a while I actually had a little crush on Ranma, a few times I felt like kicking myself for practically throwing you at him in the beginning because I wanted him for myself. But, that's ancient history, I'm happy with the way my life has turned out."  
  
"Ono is looking for an excuse to take a vacation from the clinic." Kasumi said innocently.  
  
"You too?" Akane turned to her oldest sister. "Why doesn't the whole family just go."  
  
"Your father would likely want to go as well." Kogame pointed out with a sigh. "I'm afraid he's still hung up on joining the schools."  
  
"Well, he's not so gungho about it like he used to be." Nabiki laughed.  
  
"There's no way he could demand I marry Ranma after all this time, especially not after me and Ryoga have been seeing each other for six years." said Akane then leaned over and gave her boyfriend a kiss on the cheek. The lost boy blushed a bit, in the years since they started dating his shyness towards women had diminished. He still got nosebleeds, but he was getting better. He and Akane weren't intimate, but they had a few make out sessions where they had come very close.  
  
"I don't think your father would be that foolish dear." Kogame smiled back at her.  
  
"What about Uncle Saotome and Aunt Nodoka?" Kasumi asked.  
  
"That's the kicker, I don't think it would be a good idea to let Ranma's mother know anything about this." Nabiki suggested. "Something about what Cologne had said seemed pretty weird to me."  
  
"What exactly did she say?" Ryoga asked her.  
  
"The fax said that Cologne said 'Ranma is alive and doing well in our village, Ranma has lived among us for six years'." Nabiki told them. "She went on to say, 'Ranma has been concerned about the family back home, but circumstances prevented Ranma from contacting them'."  
  
"That doesn't sound weird." Akane said.  
  
"She never referred to Ranma with 'he' at all." Nabiki explained to them. "I find it, disturbing for some reason, and I can't explain why."  
  
"He did go to Josenkyo to find a cure for his curse." said Akane, then she gasped in shock. "You don't think he got trapped in female form again do you?"  
  
"Oh my." Kasumi gasped.  
  
"Sis, you and I both know Ranma, he would search the world over for a cure even if that happened." Nabiki replied. "No, there's something else, something she didn't want my investigators to see."  
  
"You know, the curses are accumulative, that's how Pantyhose Taro got his tentacles." Ryoga spoke up. "Maybe Ranma took a dive in the wrong spring and ended up adding something to his existing curse."  
  
"What you mean is he could have become some kind of freak and was afraid to show his face to anyone but the Amazons." Nabiki frowned.  
  
"No, not even that would have stopped him." Akane shook her head.  
  
"I guess the only way we'll ever know the truth is if we go to China and see him for ourselves." said Kasumi, and her family looked at her with surprise. From time to time the family would be surprised by these little bits of insight from the eldest Tendo sister. She wasn't entirely clueless like many seemed to think she was.  
  
"Ok, I'll have Sasuki prepare the yacht and get our supplies together." Nabiki said. "It'll be a few days so that'll give us time to break the news to daddy and Mr. Saotome."  
  
Akane looked over at the toddler who was dozing off in Kogame's arms. "What about Kai?"  
  
Nabiki giggled a bit. "Kuno baby would kill his own sister for a chance to have Kai alone to himself for a few weeks."  
  
And that was how it began. Akane pulled the covers to the side and climbed out of her futon. Quietly so as not to wake anyone else she left her room and went down the stairs to the kitchen. The digital clock on the microwave said it was only four in the morning. Kasumi would up in another hour to start breakfast for the family. She went to the refrigerator and took out a can of soda for herself. She drank it down quickly and wiped the sweat from her brow. Silently she walked to the dojo and peeked inside. Ryoga and Happosai were both sound asleep on their futons. The diminutive, most evil martial arts master in the world found out about the planned expedition to find Ranma and elected himself to go along. He did not live at the Tendo dojo anymore, he stayed with Genma and Nodoka. Kogame tolerated him when he was around but refused to allow him to live in the same house. Last night was the one excepted she would allow. Of all the women in the world, Happosai respected Tendo Kogame and gave the woman a wide berth. As a master from the Kenishi School of Martial Arts Knitting, Kogame was formidable. When she caught the little lecher trying to pilfer her panties one day she snared him in a web of silk and knitted him into a cocoon in less than three seconds. Nabiki had to love Kogame's sense of justice, her idea of punishing the old pervert was to temporarily glue his eyes open with a special Kenishi clan fabric adhesive and force him to watch twenty-four hours of gay porn movies on pay- per-view. After about the first five hours she had the old man eating out of her hand like a puppy.  
  
"Akane?" came Kasumi's soft voice from the kitchen.  
  
"Oh, did I wake you Kasumi?" Akane asked as she entered the kitchen.  
  
"No, I-I couldn't sleep." she said.  
  
"Me too." Akane admitted. "I'm just nervous, we leave for China today and I'm a little-scared."  
  
"Afraid of what you might find out when we find Ranma?" Kasumi looked at her with a soft smile. Akane nodded. She was afraid to find out, but she needed to know, she needed closure. Once that part of her life was over with she and Ryoga could take things to the next step.  
  
"But I have to know." Akane said.  
  
Kasumi hugged her. She did not like seeming Akane in such distress. Her depression after Ranma's disappearance had been nearly unbearable. After she found out Ryoga's secret it was truly painful, the look on Akane's grief stricken face had pierced the depths of Kasumi's heart through and through. "I know, sis, I know."  
  
The Kuno family yacht was the "Bin Sense II", a larger more extravagant version of the first yacht that wrecked somewhere out in the South Pacific years ago, and resulted in everyone getting caught up in an adventure on Torgenkyo Island. The new yacht had a large outdoor hot tub, marine radar system, GPS navigational system, two-way high-speed satellite Internet feed, satellite phone, fully equipped galley, satellite TV system, a 36 inch plasma display TV in the main living room, six spacious cabins each with its own half-bath and a large communal onsen. The ship did not require sail power like the old yacht, this one was fuel-cell equipped. There was even a wet bar in the living room.  
  
"Bin Sense II" was still docked in Tokyo Harbor at the Tokyo Yacht Club when everyone arrived. The sight of the huge yacht, which to the Tendos and Tofus looked like a diminutive luxury liner, was breathtaking. Sasuki, the Kuno family man servant and self-proclaimed Ninja directed everyone up the gang way. Nabiki was already there making sure everything was ready for the voyage.  
  
"Nabiki, this ship is incredible." said Akane as she looked around in awe.  
  
"It should be, I designed her." Nabiki grinned.  
  
"Hello!" someone called from the gang way.  
  
Nabiki walked to the ship's railing and looked down at the dock. "Up here, you're right on time." she called. A few minutes later a tall woman wearing a blue one piece bikini with matching flower print skirt came up the gang way.  
  
"Its been a long time, Ukyo." Nabiki said giving the girl a hug.  
  
"Thanks for calling me, I wouldn't miss finding out what happened to Ranchan for a million yen." she said.  
  
"Hi Ukyo." greeted Akane. She approached the girl, tentatively at first, then they embraced. Years of old rivalry suddenly faded away.  
  
"You look awesome." Akane gave the okonomiyaki chef the once over at arm's length. After Ranma's disappearance she stopped hiding the fact she was female and let it all hang out. Years of keeping fit helped Ukyo mature into a lovely young woman with an athletic body that men found irresistible.  
  
"Sorry Konatsu couldn't come, but we're in negotiations to open up a few shops in Hong Kong." Ukyo told her.  
  
"So you two finally tied the note, eh?" Akane asked her.  
  
Ukyo shrugged. "Hey, he may be skinny, but he's a lion under the covers, sugar." The three old friend giggled girlishly and hugged each other again.  
  
"Now, I hear rumors that you and Ryoga are an item." Ukyo said giving Akane her playful smirk.  
  
"Its true, we've been dating for six years." she said.  
  
Ukyo gaped at her. "Even after finding out he's P-Chan?"  
  
"That was one of our stormy parts, but things have gotten better." Akane replied with a smile.  
  
"And you!" Ukyo turned to Nabiki. "I knew you'd try to find yourself a rich man, but Kuno?!" Nabiki just laughed it up.  
  
"Kuno baby wasn't my first choice, but he's a sucker for all the romantic stuff and we were both lonely." Nabiki said while shrugging.  
  
"Yeah, and you were the first of us to get knocked up too." Akane smirked at us.  
  
"You had a baby!?" Ukyo cheered the her face became very stern. "You had better have pictures or I'll be very upset."  
  
Nabiki laughed. "Kuno baby insisted on taking hundreds of photos of little Kai. He even had the delivery videotaped."  
  
"I got a copy on DVD, we can watch it tonight." she added.  
  
Ukyo was literally jumping up and down. One of the ship hands noticed and stopped to admire the chief's 'jiggling' for a few seconds. "Oh I have got to see that!" Ukyo cheered. "Its been so long since I've seen you guys, I'm so sorry me and Konatsu haven't stayed in touch more often."  
  
"Its ok, I understand how it can be running a small empire." Nabiki told her.  
  
"Four restaurants in Tokyo, three in Hokido, and two more in Nekomi." Ukyo smiled. "And we'll soon have our first shop in Hong Kong if the negotiations go well, but Konatsu has become a good businessman so I have no worries there."  
  
Several hours later, just past noon, the ship was given clearance to leave dock by the harbor master. Nabiki sent Sasuki up to the cockpit to tell the captain they were ready to leave. Everyone stood out on the deck as the yacht pulled away from the docks and sailed off towards Tokyo Harbor. The voyage would take several days to reach China. They would have to circumnavigate around the main islands then head out over the Sea of Japan towards the Chinese mainland coast. With the GPS system and marine radar the ship could literally navigate itself, but the captain of the vessel was a veteran oil tanker captain. Running the Kuno family yacht to him was a walk in the park and just the right kind of stress-free job someone of his age needed.  
  
Akane and Ryoga stood out on the deck as the sun went down. They could hear Happosai, Genma, and her father singing karaoke songs below decks in the living room. They were singing "Super Freak" by Rick James and totally butchering the song beyond reasonable recognition. The lost boy put his arms around Akane's shoulder, she leaned up against him and put her arm around his waist.  
  
"This is so romantic." she said looking at the spectacular sunset at sea.  
  
"I've seen hundreds of beautiful sunsets like these on my travels." Ryoga said softly. "But not until recently have I bothered to notice them."  
  
"You remember The Promise, right?" Akane asked him. Ryoga sighed and nodded.  
  
"I won't attack him unless he attacks me first." he said. "I promised to stop this feud, but I will protect myself if I have to."  
  
Akane looked at him. "I don't think Ranma would do that. He never starts any of the fights he's been in."  
  
"But he sure does finish them." Ryoga added to her statement.  
  
"That's for sure." Akane laughed, leaned her head towards his and kissed Ryoga's neck. The lost boy pulled her into an embrace. With gentle fingers he lifted her chin and kissed her lips passionately.  
  
"I love you so much Akane." he whispered. "There were so many times that I dreamed of holding you like this."  
  
Akane laid her head on Ryoga's chest and wrapped her arms around him. Her hands felt the hard, bulging muscles under his shirt. Her heart began to pound as the same desire she had the first time they made out seriously rekindled. She felt her breasts begin to firm up, the nipple hardening. She found herself wishing Ryoga was bare chested right now.  
  
"I love you too." she said and kissed him again, adding more passion into the kiss. This prompted a make out session between them, they exchanged quick passionate kisses, their arms roved around. Ryoga kissed his way down Akane's neck reveling in the soft moans she uttered as he did so. The flames inside Akane had reach fever pitch, they roared louder and hotter than they ever had before. Perhaps it was a combination of the romantic atmosphere and the love she had for the lost boy, or perhaps it was sake she had with Nabiki and Ukyo a few hours before. All she knew was that Akane could not take it any longer, she had been holding back for too long, too many times they came to this threshold and never got any further because Ranma's face would suddenly appear in her mind. This time, it didn't, this time Akane wasn't going to hold back.  
  
"Ryoga." she gasped as the lost boy's lips played with one of her earlobes sending delicious electricity through her body.  
  
"Ummm?" he murmured totally entranced in what he was doing.  
  
"Lets go downstairs." she replied softly, seductively.  
  
He looked at her, saw the fire in her eyes. "A-A-Akane, w-w-w-we aren't even m-m-m-married yet." he stuttered.  
  
"Please." she pleaded pressing her body against his. Ryoga could feel the soft round mounds of her breasts, and the hard points that were her nipples.  
  
"A-A-A-Are you sure?" he asked her softly running his fingers through her hair.  
  
"I need you Ryoga, I need this, please." she pleaded again, almost begging this time.  
  
"I don't have protection." he said.  
  
Akane grabbed his hand and lead the bewildered martial artists towards the stairs that lead below. "I DON'T CARE!!" Nabiki walked down the short hallway that lead to some of the cabins and saw Akane usher Ryoga into one of the rooms. She stopped for a second to flash Nabiki a wink, which got her a wink and a thumbs up from Nabiki. Then, Akane rushed into the room and locked the door behind her. No sound came from the room as Nabiki passed it but she guaranteed that would change soon.  
  
"You go girl." Nabiki whispered.  
  
As she walked into the living room, which was a larger cabin turned into a family TV room and entertainment room she was witness to a three person chorus as her father, Genma, and Happosai sang "Angel Is A Centerfold" by the J. Giles Band, and were audibly ripping it to shreds. When the song ended Kogame came forward, she took the mic from her husband and waited for the song to begin. She began to sing Bett Midler's "Wind Beneath My Wings" in Nihongo, her voice was clear and as beautiful as a silver bell. Nabiki walked over to where Ukyo and Kasumi were sitting, she noticed a tear in the okonomiyaki chef's eye.  
  
"Your step mom has such a beautiful voice." Ukyo gasped as Nabiki sat down next to her on the couch.  
  
"I remember mother could sing beautifully too." said Kasumi. "Kogame is so much like our birth mother in many ways."  
  
"She's really nice." Ukyo commented.  
  
"Best thing daddy ever did since marrying mom was marrying her." Nabiki smiled.  
  
"The old lech looks at her with horror in his eyes." Ukyo noticed. Whenever Happosai strayed to close to the Tendo matriarch he suddenly had a very frightened expression on his face.  
  
"I'll just say this, he has good reason to be afraid of mom." Nabiki giggled.  
  
"About time somebody knocked that pervert down a peg or two." Ukyo grinned happily.  
  
"She kicked him out of the house after the wedding, and he's been living with Ranma's parents ever since." said Kasumi.  
  
They looked over at the diminutive martial artist who was at the bar. He put his had under the beer spout, opened his mouth and pulled the lever.  
  
"Gee, you'd think he's in college or something." Ukyo laughed.  
  
"Hey, that's imported Canadian old man, ease up on it!" Nabiki yelled at him.  
  
The old lecher got up and staggered over to the girls letting out a window rattling belch. "Hey, jush faving zum foon, Nakiki!" he said drunkenly before collapsing face first to the floor. A few seconds later he started snoring like a buzz saw.  
  
"One down, two more boozers to go." Nabiki said looking over a her father and Genma who were having a sake drinking contest across the room. The two men were trying to see who could drink the most before passing out. The big Genma, in human form, downed his fifteenth decanter of sake. Soun was weaving about slightly in his seat.  
  
"Y-Y-Your [BELCH!] turn Tendo." Genma said setting his empty sake bottle down.  
  
"Iz goona bin tiz ere dinkin condest, Sahtoome." Soun stammered, his breath reeked of alcohol.  
  
"Uh, oh, when daddy gets like this he turns on the water works pretty soon." said Nabiki.  
  
"Sahtoome, da schulz wi neber me noined!" Soun said, and sure enough the tears began to flow in earnest.  
  
"N-Nonsense Tendo, w-when we find Ra-a-a-anma, we kun wed'em to Kane, no probem." Genma stammered.  
  
"Sha lubs Rayhuga nall, sha nu wunna mahhi yo bohi." Soun replied, or tried to. "Id opeless nall, gadda faz et. Weh fayed ta git thim tu mahhi."  
  
"Daddy, come on daddy, let me get you to bed." Nabiki said as she helped her father who clearly now had three sheets to the wind and then some.  
  
"Ooh kay." he said happily then tried to stand and nearly fell over.  
  
"I got him, dear." Kogame said helping to catch the drunken man. "This won't be the first time I've dragged your father to bed dunk as a skunk."  
  
"Thanks mom, I'll get Uncle Saotome." Nabiki smiled in reply and help Ranma's father to his feet. The bigger man wasn't quite as out of it as her father was, but he was pretty smashed.  
  
As Kogame took her husband down the hallway they could hear sounds coming from one of the cabins. It did not take a genius to know what was going in there, and Kogame instantly recognized the voice of her youngest stepchild.  
  
"OH KAMI-SAMA, YES, RYOGA HARDER, HARDER, YES, YES!!!!"  
  
"Wah iz dat derr?" Soun asked. "Da zoun lak Kane."  
  
Kogame just smiled and decided to have a good talk with her stepdaughter in the morning. She replied, "Its just a figment of your imagination dear."  
  
"Oh, dat agin, buh wah ah da bink elepants?" he asked as she guided him into one of the other rooms and closed the door.  
  
Three days later the Chinese mainland came into view. Everyone gathered on the deck as the yacht glided into one of the many commercial harbors that lined the Chinese coastline. Nabiki had arranged for them to have docking privileges here, and after paying off the right officials they were allowed to leave the ship without the usual ship-wide search and passport check. An hour later they all climbed into a rental van, a foreign job from Germany, and headed down the road.  
  
Soon they found themselves in the country with beautiful pristine wilderness on all sides. "I didn't know this part of China was so beautiful." said Kogame.  
  
"Its a deceptive beauty, this land is some of the most rugged, Kami forsaken land in the world." Genma replied. "Trust me."  
  
"Not as Kami forsaken as the deserts of Tibet though." Dr. Tofu added. "Now that's rugged country."  
  
"No wonder the Amazons live out here." Nabiki commented.  
  
"So how far til we get there?" Ukyo asked.  
  
Nabiki pulled out a portable GPS and checked their position on the LCD map display. "About one hundred fifty kilometers, part of it we'll have to go on foot." she said. "The people who met up with Cologne said the road up into the lands near Josenkyo are too rough for vehicles. It will likely be dark by the time we get to the Josenkyo valley."  
  
"There's a place about eighty miles up this road where we can rent some donkeys." said Genma. "If the old man running the place is still there."  
  
"That might help, what do you think father?" Kasumi asked.  
  
"Sounds good to me, I haven't had a donkey since our days training under the master." Soun replied.  
  
Tourists going into the mountains around Josenkyo occasionally took donkeys. They were perfect for negotiating the rugged countryside of this region of China. When Soun pulled the van up to the donkey rental place they discovered that the old man Genma spoke of was still very much alive. He rented them ten sturdy donkeys, one for carrying their supplies, and the rest for riding. Soun and Kogame shared one, as did Genma and Happosai, Nabiki and Kasumi, Akane and Ryoga, and Ukyo and Sasuki for a price of two hundred thousand yen. Nabiki paid with a credit card and they were quickly underway.  
  
The trail through the mountains was a rugged one. Kogame hugged her husband from behind tightly whenever they were on sheer cliffs. This made the Tendo patriarch smiled with happiness. The donkeys had made this trek before and knew where to go, but Nabiki lead the way with her GPS receiver. When they crested the top of high mountain peek they could see the valley of Josenkyo below and the light of the sun glistened off the hundreds of the springs below.  
  
"Is that?" Kogame pointed with a trembling finger.  
  
"Yeah, that's Josenkyo mom." Akane told her. "Boy its been a long time."  
  
"Still looks the same." said Genma.  
  
"I always heard of Josenkyo, but I've never seen it with my own eyes." Dr. Tofu said in awe.  
  
"Except for Phoenix Mountain." Ryoga said pointing down the valley. In the distance there was a massive collection of boulders.  
  
"Ranma actually destroyed a mountain, for real?" Kogame asked her husband.  
  
"I saw it with my own eyes when the boy killed Saffron to save Akane and brought down the mountain." said Genma solemnly.  
  
"Incredible." the Tendo matriarch gasped in awe.  
  
"Seems like a million years ago now." Akane spoke up.  
  
"So this is where it all began." Ukyo said looking at the glistening springs in the distance. "Uh, we don't have to go near them to get to where we're going do we?"  
  
"I'm afraid so, Ukyo." Genma told her.  
  
"Just follow right behind us and there shouldn't be any problems." Akane said to her trying to be reassuring.  
  
"Ok, I sure don't wanna end up turning into something with cold water because of this trip." Ukyo gulped as the grouped started moving again.  
  
"It ain't no picnic, believe me." Ryoga told her.  
  
Nabiki had been right, when they arrived at the legendary cursed springs of Josenkyo the stars were out and a crescent moon hung low in the sky. Torches were lit around the hut of the Josenkyo guide's hut. The little man came out to greet them. He was a squat little Chinaman, wearing a pair of thin glasses on his nose.  
  
"Nihao, oh, I remember you." he said looking straight at Genma. "You customer who fall into spring of drown panda, very tragic story that one."  
  
"Kind sir, could we perhaps camp near here for the night?" Soun asked him.  
  
"Hai! I show you safe camp ground, you follow Mr. Customer." the guide said and happily waddled down a path leading down the valley.  
  
The campground, Genma realized, was the very same place he and his son camped the night after they first acquired their curses. The place was well away from the dangerous waters and surrounded by thick forest. The men set about unloading the pack donkey while Akane and Nabiki secured the reins to a nearby tree. Soon Ukyo had a fire going in a fire pit while Kogame took out the cooking equipment.  
  
"I've spent countless nights like this under the stars." said Ryoga.  
  
Akane sat next to him on a log near the fire and leaned her head on his shoulder. Since that night of passion on the yacht the two had become so much closer than they ever been. There was a glow to Akane's face that had not been there before that shined as brightly as the brightest battle aura. For Ryoga the experience had been a rite of passage for him. He lived through seeing Akane totally naked and had made it through the rough sex without so much as spilling a single drop of blood from his nose. Now he knew there were no boundaries between them anymore. No longer were they just boyfriend and girlfriend, they were more, they were lovers, and he soon to be iinazuke.  
  
"Joketsuzoku is just a short distance from here, but it might be safer to approach them in the morning." Genma told them.  
  
"Never sneak up on Amazons in the middle of the night, that's good advice." Happosai said.  
  
"I can't believe we made it this far." said Akane. "We're only miles away from Ranma, its almost unreal."  
  
"We'll see him tomorrow, I'm sure of it sis." Kasumi reassured her.  
  
"I wonder if the guide wouldn't mind if I take samples of Josenkyo water with me for research." Tofu Ono wondered.  
  
"As long as you can collect your samples without getting cursed." Nabiki told him.  
  
"Hmmm. I've heard legends that the springs can actually cause people to fall into them if they are destined to have a curse." Ono said rubbing his chin.  
  
"Oh my, if you do collect some water please do be careful." Kasumi pleaded.  
  
Her husband smiled at her. "I will sweetheart."  
  
"Say, this could be our chance to get cured." said Genma. "All we need to do is find the Spring of Drowned Man."  
  
"That not be good idea." came a voice from behind them. The group turned around quickly in surprise. Standing before them were two Amazons, identical twins by the looks of them. They were absolutely beautiful, almost the spitting image of Shampoo but there was just enough of a difference to their looks that they didn't look exactly like her. Their outfits were similar to what Shampoo used to wear in Nerima, and was just as revealing.  
  
Akane's eyes went wide when she suddenly recognized them. "Ling Ling, Lung Lung, is that you?"  
  
"Akane remember us." one of the twins smiled.  
  
"Matriarch send us, say she see you come into Josenkyo valley." said the other. "Say we stay with you until morning then she come to take you to see Ranma."  
  
"Thank you." Akane bowed to them. The twins bowed in return.  
  
"Sweeto, you two have really grown up to be lovely ladies!" Happosai cheered as he lunged for the twins intending to cop a feel.  
  
"Aiya! It demon the matriarch warn us about!" they cried and drew their weapons in the blink of an eye.  
  
There was a loud clang and the diminutive pervert dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes. The twins looked up just as Ukyo slung her oversized Baker's Peel back over her shoulder.  
  
"I see some things never change." she snorted with disgust.  
  
The next morning proved to be anything but a pristine day. The sky was filled with dark, angry clouds and lightning crackled in the air. The twins stepped out into the rain as if they were completely used to it, they were actually, and waited for Cologne to make her appearance. Everyone climbed out of their tents. Ryoga held his umbrella up for himself and Akane. Genma stayed in the rain and reverted to panda form mostly because he was used to after all these years.. Soun, Ono, and Nabiki all had umbrellas to protect them and the others from the rainfall. Before long Cologne came bounding into view riding her staff like a pogo stick while still holding an umbrella. The diminutive matriarch of the Nyanchiczu stopped in front of them and looked them over.  
  
"It has been far too long, Tendo Akane." the old woman bowed to her.  
  
"Where is Ranma?" Akane demanded.  
  
"You shall see Ranma in good time." she said. "Ranma is not a prisoner, Ranma has stayed with us and had been adopted into the tribe."  
  
"Of his own free will?" Nabiki asked.  
  
"Yes, Tendo Nabiki." Cologne told her.  
  
"Its Kuno now." she replied.  
  
Cologne's eyes went wide for a moment then said, "I see."  
  
"I am Tendo Kogame, Tendo Soun's wife." Kogame said in greeting and bowed respectfully.  
  
"So he has remarried, I wondered when that was going to happen." Cologne said cheerfully.  
  
"And Dr. Tofu, I am honored to see a healer of your caliber in our lands." Cologne went on to bow towards the doctor.  
  
"I am honored to be here, honored matriarch." he replied. "Me and my wife, Kasumi."  
  
Cologne smiled warmly at this. "It is good to see this union, the two of you were always meant for one another."  
  
"Thank you, honored matriarch." Kasumi bowed in thanks.  
  
"Hello Cologne baby." Happosai said in a subdued tone.  
  
"Happi." Cologne said with a slight frown. "Its been a long time, perhaps not long enough."  
  
"Nice to see you too." he replied sarcastically.  
  
"Grrroowwf!" Genma growled. His sign read, "Where is my son?"  
  
"We'd like to see Ranchan now." Ukyo added.  
  
"And Kuonji Ukyo is here as well, this is certainly an interesting reunion." Cologne chuckled then waved down the path she just came. "I'll take you to Ranma now."  
  
The procession into the village was slow due to the rain stirring up mud along the trail. Eventually they reached the outskirts of Joketsuzoku. There was already activity in the dirty thoroughfares of the Amazon village as people went out their daily lives collecting water from the village well, purchasing good from the open air market to make breakfast, and any number of other regular duties. The Amazons lead a simple life, they did not have regular jobs they had to attend to for pay to survive. The village worked together like in the days of old gathering food from crops and hunting in the forests for game animals. It was a way of life that had not changed for thousands of years.  
  
The diminutive matriarch lead them through the heart of the village, many villagers stopped to look at them for a moment. Visiting strangers were few and far between these days. Soon they were coming to the other end of the village and headed straight for a great tree that grew in the lower end of the valley. As they neared this ancient, magnificent tree everyone began to notice the complex array of structures hanging amidst the branches.  
  
"Wow, that is some tree house!" Ukyo exclaimed.  
  
"Is that where Ranma lives?" Akane pointed.  
  
Cologne nodded and continued to lead the way. She brought them to a winding ramp of wooden planks that encircled the tree's mighty trunk. The ramp was suspended by ropes that were tied off high above on the huge boughs of the tree. Nabiki estimated they were a good one hundred feet up when they reached the summit of the ramp and found themselves on a huge patio overlooking the valley.  
  
"What a view." said Soun as he looked out over the valley.  
  
"Ranma helped design this home." Cologne told them.  
  
She turned and knocked on a heavy wooden door. For a moment there was no response then the door opened. Tendo Akane found herself looking at Shampoo for the first time in ten years. Soon after Ranma left for China the Amazons mysteriously closed up shop and left. She had always wondered why, now she was going to finally get some answers. It also suddenly occurred to Akane that Shampoo was holding a toddler, a little girl.  
  
"Aiya!" Shampoo said in shock seeing the Tendos and Ranma's father on her patio with Cologne.  
  
"Shampoo, Ranma's family has come for a visit." Cologne told her.  
  
"Is that child Ranma's?" Akane stepped forward and asked.  
  
"Oh no, Rosebud is child of Mousse." she replied with a happy smile.  
  
"Y-Y-You married Mousse." Ukyo said, shocked.  
  
Shampoo nodded emphatically. "Aiya, Mousse good husband, Shampoo was wrong about him long time."  
  
This shocked them. Shampoo had been adamant about never accepting Mousse as her mate. The myopic martial artist had gotten into many fights with Ranma over Shampoo, though a majority of them was due to a misunderstanding and a great deal of undue jealousy on Mousse's part.  
  
"You come in, Shampoo have tea ready." She said and stepped to the side so the others could enter the house. The main part of the tree house was as spacious as the Tendo home back in Nerima. It was single floor deal, but it was large. One of the more interesting accompaniments was the hearth that was built into the room. How they managed to do that without burning the whole tree down none of them could understand.  
  
"Ranma in bath now, I take Akane to go see, yes." Shampoo said in her cheerful voice.  
  
"Its alright, I'll be ok with this." Akane said to Ryoga who squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.  
  
"Ok." he whispered and kissed the back of her head before she followed the voluptuous Amazon out of the room. They walked across a swinging rope bridge a few feet to another building built in the boughs of the great tree. As Shampoo opened the door a thick cloud of steam billowed out.  
  
"This bath house." Shampoo explained and lead Akane inside.  
  
"Ranma, you have visitor." she said.  
  
"Who is it Sham-chan." came the distinctive sound of Ranma's female half.  
  
"Ranma?" Akane said as she walked through the thick clouds of steam and found herself in a room dominated by a huge circular furo like tub.  
  
"A-A-Akane?" came the same voice again. A figure came out of the mists moving through the steaming waters. Akane's eyes went wide as she recognized Ranma in his female form approaching her. She kept much of her body under the water which was churning about as if kept in constant motion by water jets like in a hot tub. It was not lost on Akane that Ranma was in female form, and sitting in warm water.  
  
"Ranma." she said looking at her one time iinazuke in awe and surprise.  
  
"Uh, Sham-chan, can we be alone?" Ranma asked the beautiful Amazon.  
  
"Ok, I go make breakfast for others." she replied.  
  
"Other's what others?" Ranma asked quickly.  
  
"My dad, my step mom, Ryoga, Nabiki, Kasumi, her husband Dr. Tofu, your father, Ukyo, Happosai, and Sasuki." Akane answered.  
  
Ranma suddenly had a terrified look on her face. "You didn't bring my mom did you?"  
  
"No, Nabiki thought it might not be a good idea, and now I see why." she replied. "How long have you been frozen in your female form?"  
  
"Ten years." Ranma told her, then took a double take. "Step mom?"  
  
"My dad remarried, her name is Kogame and she is very nice." Akane told her. "We all love her."  
  
Tears started to stream down Akane's face when she finally blurted out, "Why didn't you ever call me, or write me Ranma?!"  
  
Ranma moved to the edge of the furo and reached out to Akane. She took her hands and looked her in the eye. "I couldn't." she said. "After what happened to me I couldn't face you, I couldn't face my dad or my mom, not even your dad."  
  
"What happened?" Akane asked.  
  
"Josenkyo is a trap." Ranma told her tears forming in Ranma's eyes. "Its a trap and I fell for it hook, line and sinker."  
  
"What do you mean?" Akane asked in surprise.  
  
"Ten years ago I arrived at Josenkyo and found the Spring of Drowned Man with the aid of the guide." Ranma explained. "He tried to cry out to me but all I could think about was getting rid of my cure and going back home to you. But after I came to the surface of the spring I came out, female."  
  
"I found out later from the guide and then Cologne that if you are cursed and you try to reverse that curse by using the Springs of Drowned Man or Woman, or whatever, you will be locked in your cursed form forever." Ranma went on. "She and Shampoo helped me, we traveled the world of four years seeking a cure, but there was none."  
  
"Oh Ranma, I'm so sorry." Akane said squeezing Ranma's hand.  
  
"Now you see why I couldn't go home." she said. "Maybe I should have sent you word that I was alright, but I was too afraid."  
  
"Saotome Ranma, afraid, there is no such thing." Akane laughed.  
  
Ranma face was deadly serious. "There was a time when I wanted to die, when I wanted to take a knife and cut my wrists and be done with my life."  
  
"Ranma." Akane gasped.  
  
"But then Shampoo entered my life, she helped me and gave me a new reason to live." Ranma told her. "She gave me my life back. She and Mousse both."  
  
"How?" Akane asked, already starting to feel a little faint from hearing all of these revelations. She stepped back as Ranma slowly climbed out of the furo. Ranma smiled as Akane's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. Very slowly Ranma stepped to the floor making sure she had good footing so she did not fall down. She turned to show Akane her profile, and hugged the enormous bulge that was her distended stomach.  
  
"Oh my Kami-sama, y-y-you're-" Akane gasped.  
  
"Pregnant, I'm nine months pregnant with twins." Ranma nodded.  
  
"B-B-But h-h-how?" Akane stammered the question.  
  
Ranma gave her a crooked smile. "Now I know by now you should know the answer to that question, Akane."  
  
Akane suddenly blushed from her shoulders up. "I-I-I know that, but w-w-w-w-who is the father?"  
  
"Oh, that's an easy one." Ranma smiled happily. "I'm Mousse's second wife, and these little gems belong to him." And Ranma lovingly rubbed her hands over her massive stomach. Akane gave off a tiny "eep!" and collapse to the floor.  
  
"Hmm. She took it better than I thought she would.." Ranma whispered softly to the two little lives growing inside of her.  
  
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TO BE CONTINUED.... 


	2. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: "Ranma 1/2" is the registered trademark and copyright of Viz Communications, Kitty Productions, and Rumiko Takahashi. All rights reserved. "Tenchi Universe (Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki TV)" is the registered trademark and copyright of Pioneer, LDC, AIC, Inc., and Kajishima Masaki. All rights reserved. All other Anime and non-Anime characters who appear in this fic are the registered trademark and copyright of their respective owners. All rights reserved.  
  
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Special Note: The author of "Cheaper by the Dozen" known as Pilgrim reviewed my first chapter and liked it, his stories are pretty good so have a look-see for yourself. My story was inspired by this one-shot fic but is very different from his. What is the same is that its set many years into the future, Ranma is married to Mousse and is second wife under Shampoo, and is stuck in female form. The part that is different is that in Pilgrim's tale Ranma impregnates herself because the water of the Spring of Drowned Man turned one of her ovaries into a testicle instead of curing the curse. Remember that the curses are accumulative, how else did Pantyhose Taro get his octopus tentacles, thus in a way it was only logical that would happen to Ranma. It made the story more believable actually. In my story, Josenkyo (that is the correct spelling "from the Manga" BTW) is a trap for anyone who tries to obtain a cure, and locks you in your cursed form forever. Ranma's transformation into a "real" girl was due to the assault on his personality by his female body's hormones, which according to medical science can effect human behavior. . . just ask any woman who experiences monster bouts of PMS (or any man who is a victim of a PMSing woman). This transformation was gradual over a period of several years, not all at once. I may in the future write a prequel to this series after all my other projects are finished. The prequel would detail Ranma's journey to China to seek a cure, her discovery at being trapped in female form, and the journey around the world with Shampoo and Cologne to seek a cure. The prequel would also detail the events leading up to the three-way marriage between Ranma, Mousse, and Shampoo, and Ranma's eventual decision to open up to Mousse and be his wife for real. You will find a flashback to that day in this chapter. OH, and I know Tenchi Universe shows in the disclaimer above. Rest assured they will show up soon.  
  
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R A N M A F O R E V E R  
  
by Michael "TheZorch" Haney  
  
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Chapter 1  
  
Tendo Akane awoke and was greeted by the face of the man she loved, the man to whom she gave up her virginity. Ryoga hovered over her with concern written all over his face, then reached down and helped her stand up. She found herself still in the bath house, but the heavy clouds of mist were gone and the furo was drained. Akane felt extremely dizzy for a moment and she felt Ryoga's powerful but gentle hand steady her. The concern on his face did little to also hide the sadness that was there.  
  
"I had the most bizarre dream." she said. "I dreamed that Ranma was frozen in his female form that she was Mousse's second wife and was pregnant with his children, twins of a things. Isn't that funny?"  
  
Ryoga did not laugh, he had the look of a man who had just seen a ghost. "Tell me I was dreaming." she pleaded.  
  
"I'm sorry." he told her. "It was a huge shock to all of us when we saw Ranma for the first time. He, I mean she, came and told us you fainted in here a little while ago."  
  
Akane started breathing heavily and pushed away from Ryoga. She ran from the room and across the bridge to the main house. When she entered she stopped at the sight of Ranma sitting on a huge pile of cushions at a large table. She was dressed in a pink outfit that looked like a maternity version of the dresses that Shampoo usually always wore. Her hair, which was now waist length, was done up in a long braid and tied off with white ribbons.  
  
"Akane, where's Ryoga, he'll get lost!" Nabiki reminded her. Akane tore her eyes from Ranma, ran back to the bathroom and grabbed Ryoga who was of the presence of mind to stay where he was. When they came back Akane suddenly realized that she did not see Ranma's father anywhere in the room.  
  
"Where is Mr. Saotome?" she asked.  
  
"He took one look at Ranchan, sugar, and ran out of here like greased lightning." Ukyo told her. Akane looked over at her father who seemed to be a in total state of shock. He was not crying, he was just staring off into space. Kogame patted his head and smiled at Akane to reassure her daughter-in-law that her father was still alive and breathing.  
  
"I can just imagine what he thought when he saw me." Ranma said. "My son, this happened to him and he just gave up, well that's not what happened." There was some bitterness in her voice. Ranma had hoped that her father would be understanding and a bit happy about being a future grandfather, but the instant he saw Ranma he turned white and ran from the room and down the ramp.  
  
"What did happen, what lead to this?" Ukyo asked her.  
  
Ranma sighed and Shampoo squeezed her shoulders tenderly. Kogame held little Rosebud in her arms. There was something about the Tendo matriarch that attracted young children. It was as if they could feel she was someone loving and safe. The little Amazon toddler had taken one look at her and reached out to her to be picked up. Kogame had been holding her in her lap ever since.  
  
"Well, you all already know Josenkyo is a trap." she said, then pointed at Ryoga. "So if I hear you've been around the Spring of Drowned Man I'll kick your sorry ass."  
  
"As if you could in your condition." the lost boy smirked at her.  
  
Ranma gave him her best sarcastic grin. "You'd be surprised what a pregnant Amazon can do, bacon bits."  
  
"I know about P-Chan." Akane spoke up.  
  
Ranma looked at her then at Ryoga. "And he's still breathing? I'm shocked."  
  
"We've been dating for six years now." Akane admitted. "In the beginning it wasn't easy, but Ryoga and I worked past that incident a long time ago."  
  
"Wow, I'm happy, I'm glad you two got together." Ranma smiled. "So are you married yet?"  
  
"Not yet." Akane replied steepling her fingers.  
  
"You haven't been waiting all this time for me, have you?" Ranma looked at her. Akane looked at the floor and nodded slightly.  
  
"Oh, oh man, Akane I-I'm so sorry." Ranma said sadly. "Damn, I should have let you know something, the last thing I wanted you to do is worry yourself to death over me."  
  
"Its, its alright Ranma, Ryoga and me have actually been considering marriage." Akane told her. In a way now we gotta get married., she told herself. A slight shiver ran down her spin as she remember her first time with the Eternally Lost Boy.  
  
"You don't mind that I've been seeing her?" Ryoga asked.  
  
"Only as long as you take good care of her and love her with all your heart." Ranma said looking Ryoga straight in the eye. "That's all I ask."  
  
"I can do that." he replied wrapping his arms around Akane's shoulders, embracing her from behind gently.  
  
"You said you were going to explain what happened." Nabiki spoke up.  
  
Ranna nodded. "Yeah, I was." she said. "Well, maybe I should start from the beginning. A little bit after I tried to cure myself, it was around that time Cologne decided to take me and Shampoo on a trip around the world to seek a cure for me-"  
  
* * *  
  
Ranma was used to being on the road a lot. He traveled with his father for ten years training in the Art and little else. It had been six months since she, Shampoo, and Cologne left Joketsuzoku in search of a cure for the lock on her curse. Their first trip took them to the lands of the Musk Dynasty. Cologne petitioned Prince Herb for the honor of using the Open Water Kettle on Ranma to see if it would reverse the lock. Ranma ended up having to fight Herb in a challenge match for the right to use the ancient Musk artifact, and she won by using a variation of the same Hiryu Shoten Ha technique she used on Saffron. Unlike the god of the Phoenix people Prince Herb survived the onslaught and allowed Ranma to use the artifact. To the disappointment of all it did not help. Surprisingly Prince Herb was upset that the kettle failed to cure Ranma. He pledged his eternal friendship to Saotome Ranma, for they both shared the same curse. In that way it made them kinsmen, or brothers, eh, brother and sister actually.  
  
Five months since the failure with the Open Water Kettle the three went to a sacred spring known to flow from a mountain in India. Cologne employed the great wealth, hidden wealth, of the Amazon people to pay for the traveling expenses. The trek into the mountains was a rough one but Ranma was used to it and so were the Amazons though their guide was not so accustomed to mountain climbing without special gear. Ranma and the others climbed with their bare hands. Once they reached the legendary spring and Ranma dived into it. Shampoo and Cologne waited with anticipation, after surfacing Ranma came out of the water and doused herself with hot water from a thermos. The Amazons both sighed with disappoint.  
  
"This really bites." said Ranma looking down at herself.  
  
"Do not loose hope Ranma, there are many, many sacred places around the world that should cure you of your curse." Cologne reassured her.  
  
"Aiya! Great grandmother right, Ranma no loose hope." Shampoo said enthusiastically.  
  
On and on it went like this. The three visited holy places in Asia, Africa, Europe, and North, Central, and South America. They visited magical springs and a few hot baths that legends say had the power to cure and even remove curses. Months and months of failures went by, and as the failures kept piling up so did Ranma's depression.  
  
"Hurry up Ranma, we're almost there." Shampoo said in Mandarin.  
  
Ranma was lagging behind, her will to go on was very low. For two years she faced failure after failure to find a way to reverse her curse. In all that time she never wrote to Akane or even sent a postcard. Ranma could not, she was afraid, afraid for the first time in her life of anything other than a c-c-cat. She was afraid of Akane's rejection, afraid of being disowned by her father, and most of all she was afraid of what her mother would demand she do for the honor of the clan.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." Ranma replied in Mandarin. In those same two years she learned to speak Shampoo's native language. Ranma picked it up so quickly that they stopped using Japanese altogether so Shampoo's Japanese never really improved that much.  
  
"Here it is, the sacred magical spring of the Cherokee." Cologne announced as they arrived. It had taken three weeks of negotiations with the local tribal leaders of the Cherokee tribe that lived on this reservation in the American state of Montana for the right to visit this sacred spring. They were only allowed to come here if accompanied by a representative of the tribe. The old Cherokee Indian councilman folded his arms over his huge chest holding his cell phone in one hand. He watched as the beautiful red headed Ranma slowly waded into the sacred waters of the spring and immersed herself into it. When she came out she took a thermos from the other beautiful Chinese girl and upended it over her head. The older, wrinkled up gnome like woman who balanced on a twisted old wooden cane just sighed when nothing happened.  
  
"SON OF A BITCH!" Ranma cried in English and slammed the thermos down so hard it smashed flat and left a depression in the ground.  
  
"I take it you did not meet with success." the old Indian said offhandedly.  
  
Cologne nodded to him. "I am afraid not, kind sir, but please extend our thanks to your tribesmen for allowing us the honor of using your spring to seek a cure for our friend." Cologne replied in perfect English.  
  
"I will Ms. Cologne." the old Indian bowed. "Shall I escort you back to town now?"  
  
The ancient matriarch of the Nyanchiczu looked sadly over at Ranma who was crying on Shampoo's shoulder while the young Amazon held her in her arms. "Please do, we have a long way to go tomorrow." she told him. Cologne sighed, Prince Herb had only spent one year trapped in his female form, and she never heard of anyone with the same curse ever being locked any longer than that before. She had no idea what would happen to someone trapped for longer than that. It was already two years since Ranma was locked into his cursed form, and the ancient Amazon was starting to see the beginnings of a subtle personality change in the "girl". It concerned her greatly, Ranma was venturing into uncharted territory and Cologne had no idea what a prolonged stay in his cursed form was going to have on him in the long run.  
  
More months went by, and the three journeyed to even more exotic lands and locations seeking a possible cure for Ranma. They visited self- proclaimed witches, wicken, witch doctors, alchemists, scientists, and faith healers. Their journey to Jamaica turned out to be an adventure in itself when a Voodoo witch doctor sought to use Neko-Shampoo for a sacrifice to his gods, not knowing that she was really a human turned into a cat by a Josenkyo curse. Ranma fought her way through rabid voodoo religious fanatics and spear toting warriors to free Shampoo. In the end, they never found anything to help with Ranma's curse, but they did find a crystal medallion that blocked Shampoo's transformation into her cat form. On the upside, the voodoo witch doctor gave up the craft after confronting Neko-Ranma. That experience put the fear of god in the man.  
  
Two more years passed without success and Ranma was giving up all hope of ever finding a cure for herself. It had been so long since that faithful day he tried to cure himself and ended up being stuck as a girl. Ranma was quickly becoming aware of changes in herself just as Cologne was making note of them quietly. Ranma was acting more and more "feminine" every day, as the years passed she was becoming more and more like a real girl. One day, the three were on the beach of Los Angeles, California in the United States for some rest from their long journey. Ranma no longer wore anything masculine and opted to wear what a real girl would wear. She was dressed in a blue two piece bikini that was not too revealing, not as revealing as Shampoo's, but was enough to make many of the boys on the beach take notice. In some ways Shampoo was really very jealous of Ranma, because she was so much prettier than her, but at the same time she loved Ranma with all her heart; whether he was a boy or a girl. What happened that day on the beach effected Ranma badly, it was the day she realized her manhood was all but completely gone.  
  
"Ranma, you can't sit here on the beach all day." Shampoo pleaded in Mandarin. "Come on, I have the medallion so you don't have to worry about me turning into a cat and trigging the Nekoken madness anymore."  
  
Ranma sat on the beach blanket under an umbrella looking very depressed. "You go on and have some fun Sham-chan." she replied. "I don't feel like swimming."  
  
"I'm really worried about you Ranma, you hardly eat anymore, you're always so depressed-"  
  
"Well, you would be too if you were trapped in a body you didn't want!" Ranma snapped at her. Shampoo winced and gave Ranma a very hurt expression.  
  
"Aw, geeze, I'm sorry Sham-chan, this ain't your fault." Ranma said realizing what she had just done to the one person who was her only best friend in the whole world now.  
  
Shampoo smiled and held her hand out to the dejected red head. "Please, it'll be fun you'll see." Shampoo pleaded again giving Ranma that sad puppy eyed look she know the martial artist could not resist. "For me."  
  
Ranma took her hand and stood up. "Alright, but if some guy makes a pass at me I'm gonna pound him into Jello."  
  
Somewhere else on the beach, very close to where the two Asian beauties had their blanket and umbrella on the beach, was a gathering of the local surfer elite. There were three of them, each a splendid example of a healthy American teenager, and the object of affection by many of the girls on the beach and at their school.  
  
"Babe Alert!" one of them announced, the blond one named Mitch, as he spied the two girls headed for the water.  
  
"They're holding hands Mitch, they gotta be Dykes." said the dark hair one, named Eric.  
  
"Fuck, why are all the gorgeous ones Lesbos?" asked the one who was African American, named Carl.  
  
"Hey, they're Asian man, maybe their like sisters or something." Mitch said watching the two girls run into the surf and dive in.  
  
"Holy shit, that red head is like so hot!" Carl exclaimed as he looked at the girls through a pair of binoculars.  
  
"That other girl must be a Utena fan or something." Eric commented as he looked at Shampoo.  
  
"What's that?" Mitch asked.  
  
"This Japanese Anime about a female cross dresser with blue hair." Eric replied. "Lemme see those for a sec." Carl handed him the binoculars.  
  
"Damn, all the Asian girls I ever saw all had small tits, but these two are stacked!" Eric said excitedly.  
  
"Yo, wanna invite them to the party tonight?" Mitch asked. "You know, maybe we can have some 'diplomatic' relations later on."  
  
"That red head has some long legs man, imagine them wrapped around you." Carl said goading his friends on.  
  
"Hey, here they come!" Eric said as he lowered the binoculars. Shampoo and Ranma were running out of the surf laughing from their short stint in the water. They failed to see the three American boys before they were practically right there next to them.  
  
"Hi there!" said Mitch.  
  
"You two come to this beach often?" Carl asked.  
  
Shampoo blinked, her grasp of English wasn't all that good, not as good as her Japanese. Ranma was different story, due to Ms. Hinako's classes she learned quite a bit about the language.  
  
"Uh, we're only here for one day then we're going out of the country." Ranma replied in English. She was at first really annoyed at being disturbed in her play with Shampoo. Ranma was becoming very close with the amorous Amazon, she was her one true friend. Thought she would not admit it, Ranma was actually starting to love her a little. She took in the sight of these three tall boys and suddenly the most unusual feeling overcame her. Ranma found herself studying the curves of their pectorals and the muscles on their arms, she felt her breasts firming up and her nipples growing hard and erect. Her heart beat in her chest. She never felt like this before, and it frightened her.  
  
"Oh, man, that sucks." Eric said looking disappointed. "We were looking for two gorgeous girls like you to come to a party tonight on the beach."  
  
"Yeah, they're gonna have lots of food, beer, and Korn is gonna be there too." Mitch added. "Its gonna be a blast!"  
  
"What are they saying?" Shampoo asked in Mandarin.  
  
Ranma replied in the same tongue, "They want us to go to a party on the beach tonight."  
  
"They are quite handsome." Shampoo commented. "Not as handsome as you were, of course."  
  
"Thanks." Ranma smiled but also felt a little sad too at what the Amazon had said.  
  
"My name is Eric, this is my brother Mitch, and this is our best bro Carl." Eric said introducing himself as his two companions.  
  
"My name is Ranma and this is Shampoo." Ranma replied. Her gaze fell upon the boys again and that same strange feeling fell over her again. She felt like running as far away from these boys as possible, but something else she did not understand kept her from doing so.  
  
"Are you two like leaving tonight, but if not why not come to the party and experience a good time American style." Mitch suggested to her.  
  
"Uh, well, I dunno, our chaperon might not like that." Ranma replied, her breath was coming to her in pants now. Her attention was being drawn more and more towards the named Eric and his presence was having the greatest effect on her.  
  
"What did they say, my English is not very good." said Shampoo.  
  
"What did she say?" Carl asked.  
  
"Sorry, Shampoo doesn't speak English too well." Ranma told him. "As I said our chaperon is pretty strict about these things and she'd object really bad if we skipped out to a party at night."  
  
"Awe man, that's too bad." Eric said disappointedly. "Its a shame two lovely young ladies like you gonna stay in at night. But, hey, that's ok, we're glad to meet you anyway."  
  
"Uh, um, same here." Ranma replied, now she was sweating. "We gotta go and check in with our chaperon or she'll come looking for us and that would be really bad news."  
  
Mitch laughed. "A real bitch, eh?"  
  
Ranma laughed and replied, "She can break ten cinder blocks just with her head, without using padding."  
  
"DAMN!" Carl exclaimed in surprise.  
  
"She's a martial artist, huh?" Mitch asked. "I'm a third degree black belt in Karate."  
  
Ranma laughed at that. What passed for advanced martial arts training in the United States was consider only beginner level stuff to the more traditional trainers in the Orient. "Well, we're martial artists too, uh, we really gotta go, it was good talking to you." Ranma said as he grabbed Shampoo's hand and started to walk off.  
  
"Hey, what Ryu do you train under?" Mitch shouted the question as the two Asian beauties walked away.  
  
"The Anything Goes Ryu." Ranma replied then she and Shampoo dashed off.  
  
"Anything Goes?" Carl asked and looked at Mitch who's eyes went wide all of a sudden.  
  
"Holy fucking shit, she said the Anything Goes Ryu!" Mitch said.  
  
"Yeah, so?" Eric asked his brother gesturing for him to continue.  
  
"Dude, that is like the meanest, toughest martial arts style in the world, I read all about in Black Belt magazine." Mitch replied. "Only two families in all of Japanese practice the style, it like dates back centuries."  
  
"Whoa." the other two replied in awe.  
  
Ranma finally stopped running when they finally reached the beach house that Cologne had rented. Shampoo looked at Ranma worriedly and wondered by Ranma ran from those boys all of a sudden. Her poor English had picked up a few words here and there but she was unable to understand anything being said. She got enough of a jist of what was being said to know the boys meant them no harm, but their body language said something very differently. Those boys had been out hunting, girl hunting.  
  
"Ranma, what's wrong?" Shampoo asked with concern.  
  
"I don't want to talk about it." Ranma said as she plopped down the couch in the beach house living room.  
  
"Ranma, you know I care about you more than anything else in the world, and if something is bothering you I need to know about it." Shampoo pleaded. "I love you."  
  
"I-I-I think I was-"  
  
"Go on."  
  
"I-I-I think I was getting turn on by those boys." Ranma said finally then slumped back on the couch and hugged her knees up under her chin.  
  
"They were very good looking, for Americans." Shampoo replied with a sheepish smile.  
  
"I'm a guy, I can't be turned on by other guys!" Ranma shouted angrily. "I'm a guy dammit, not a girl, a guy! I ain't a fagot!" Tears were streaming down Ranma's face at this point. Shampoo went to her side and cradled the sobbing girl in her arms and Ranma did not resist her.  
  
"I'm loosing it, that's gotta be it, I'm going loony toons." Ranma went on.  
  
"No, you're not going insane Ranma." Shampoo said soothingly. "Great grandmother told me some time ago this might happen."  
  
"Nani?" Ranma looked up at her in surprise.  
  
"She said nobody with your curse has ever been locked in their cursed form for more than a year." Shampoo replied. "She said she does not know what will happen to you, but she said she as been noticing 'changes'."  
  
Ranma sat up and threw up her hands. "This is just fucking great, I'm turning into a real girl now!" Ranma cried. "I'll never be able to show my face in Japan again or my mother will demand I commit seppoku!" She got up from the couch and stomped around the living room.  
  
"You could come live in Joketsuzoku with us." Shampoo suggested. "You've already been adopted into our clan by great grandmother and my people will accept you because you saved us all from Lord Saffron."  
  
"Akane, I can never see her again like this." Ranma said with the most agonized expression of despair on her face that Shampoo had ever seen.  
  
"You, you loved her very much, didn't you?" she asked softly.  
  
Ranma fell to her knees and began to cry. "She almost died in my arms, Sham-chan, I love her so much, I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her."  
  
The beautiful Amazon knelt in front of her and embraced the sobbing red head. "I'm so sorry, great grandmother and I tried so hard to help, airen." she said, her voicing starting to crack some with her own tears. "I wanted to help you so badly, I would willingly spill my own blood if it meant you'd be restored."  
  
"Airen, that's a word I haven't heard in a while." Ranma said softly.  
  
"I still love you." Shampoo told her.  
  
"I know, and I think maybe I love you too." Ranma replied. "But, I'm so confused right now, I don't know which way is up or down anymore, I'm tired of this damn trip, I'm tired of all the disappoints, I just want to go home but I can't."  
  
"Let us take care of you Ranma, I will always take care of you no matter what." Shampoo told her.  
  
Cologne did not have the heart to interrupt the touching scene. A tear feel from her eye as she watched the two girls embrace one another. She felt agonized sadness for Ranma, she could not truly understand what she was going through, but she knew there was nothing she could do to help her. They had been on the road for four years and failed to find anything that would restore Ranma to manhood. When the two girls finally parted from their embrace Cologne took that as he cue to make an entrance.  
  
"I think it is time we returned to Joketsuzoku." she said. "We have tried everything we could to help you Ranma, but I have failed you and for that I am so sorry. I know there is little if anything I can do to make up for what has happened to you, but I want you to know that you are welcome to stay with us as long as you like. I adopted you into our clan so you will be recognized as one of us."  
  
"Please Ranma, stay with us." Shampoo said squeezing Ranma's hand.  
  
Ranma nodded sadly and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Ok, I'll stay with you."  
  
Shampoo threw her arms around her, it wasn't one of her trademark "I got you now!" glomps, it was a loving, tender embrace. "Oh Ranma, you will love it at Joketsuzoku, its so beautiful there, but you've seen that." she said excitedly.  
  
"I'll make the preparations for our journey home." Cologne said before leaving, but she turned back and bowed towards Ranma. "Again, I must apologized for my failure to aid you."  
  
"It ain't your fault, you didn't reach me in time to warn me about the springs and I didn't listen to the guide." Ranma told her.  
  
"No, we should have told you from the beginning, but I was holding the information back from you making you think Josenkyo had the key to curing you in order to coerce you into accepting Shampoo as your wife." Cologne admitted. "All of this is my fault."  
  
Ranma shook her head. "It wasn't your fault I got this curse in the first place, it was my baka father who did this to me."  
  
"Nevertheless, my decision to hold back the information about the dangers of the springs lead to this unfortunately situation." Cologne went on.  
  
"You spent four years of your life away from your people trying to help me." Ranma said looking at her. "I think that makes up for it."  
  
Cologne sighed and closed her eyes. "As you wish, I must go now and charter a boat back to China, I will return in one hour." With that said Cologne grabbed her cane and pogo sticked out of the beach house.  
  
* * *  
  
"There really isn't a cure then." Ryoga said sadly.  
  
Ranma shook her head. "The only cure that likely would have restored me was destroyed long ago on Torgenkyo Island, and if I hadn't done that Akane would be a boy right now instead of a girl." The memory of that day made Akane shudder, that day she nearly got turned into a man forever by the magical spring of Torgenkyo. Prince Toma, the Master of Illusion and Lord of Torgenkyo, in his misguided attempt to attain a wife kidnapped her and all the other girls that were shipwrecked on an island in the south seas. Kuno had taken then all out on the "Sin Sense I", the ill- fated predecessor to the yacht they traveled in to get to China this time around. Of course, the young prince did not count on a very resourceful and determined Saotome Ranma. In the end, Prince Toma turned out to be a really nice person and a good friend. Ranma had used the Moko Takabisha to punch a hole in the bottom of the magical spring, thus destroying it. It would be a few hundred years before the water and sap of the great tree restored the spring.  
  
"We tried to find a way to cure Ranma, but nothing would help him." Cologne sighed.  
  
"That's so sad." Akane said with a very heartbroken expression.  
  
"My heart ached knowing there was no way to help Ranma and that it was all my fault." Cologne added.  
  
"Hey, I told you it ain't your fault!" Ranma shouted at the old matriarch. "I don't blame you for this, in fact, if you had warned me about the spring I wouldn't have gotten together with Mousse and Shampoo." She patted her stomach and added, "And I wouldn't have the joy I have right now of carrying these two inside of me. For the first time in years I really feel 'whole'." Akane looked at Ranma, really looked at her and noticed for the first time the warm glow around her. Ranma was glowing, literally glowing, not in a physical sense as if she were manifesting a battle aura, but glowing in a spiritual sense like all expectant mothers usually do. There was a veil of happiness and peace around Ranma that she had never seen in her before.  
  
"Its still so unreal." Akane said as she gestured towards Ranma's ponderous stomach. "I mean, you being pregnant, and Mousse of all people being the father."  
  
"You and him used to really duke it out over Shampoo." Ukyo said. "I guess in a way its pretty ironic that you and him end up being lovers and all."  
  
"I thought the weird and improbably was what usually happened to Ranma on a daily basis." Nabiki smirked.  
  
Ranma smiled at her. "Things are better now, way better, but back then it was horrible. In fact it was really bad, it was only three days after we returned to Joketsuzoku-"  
  
* * *  
  
Cologne's private home where she and Shampoo lived in Joketsuzoku was the most luxurious of homes but it was livable. The house was basically a log cabin like structure with some bamboo. That region of China experienced pretty harsh winters and so the house was made to withstand the weather. A spare room in the back was set aside for Ranma. She walked in and sat on the straw lined bed carrying her backpack which contained everything she owned. Two years prior Ranma gave up on dressing like a boy and opted for more comfortable girl's clothing and underwear. She opened the pack and pulled the two dresses she bought in Singapore, a Mandarin style outfit similar to Shampoo's own less "revealing" outfit she wore when she worked at the Nekohauten in Japan, and an assortment of panties and bras. She was thankful that Happosai was nowhere in the vicinity. Ranma really was not in the mood for fighting or even bashing in the little pervert's head.  
  
"You alright?" came Shampoo worried question from the doorway.  
  
"Yeah." Ranma lied as she looked up at the beautiful Amazon and gave her a weak smile.  
  
"I'll start some dinner for us." Shampoo told her. "Great grandmother has gone to the Great Hall in the center of the village to meet with the council of elders."  
  
"She's been gone four years, I hope it don't her get into trouble." said Ranma, who was genuinely concerned with the old woman who after four years had become something of a mother to her.  
  
"Great grandmother kept in touch with the village during the entire trip." Shampoo explained. "No, she went to the council to present herself to them and reassert her position as matriarch before them. It is all politics and procedure, it is mostly for show but it does have some significance."  
  
Ranma nodded. "To show that she's still matriarch even after being gone for four years."  
  
"Exactly." Shampoo smiled.  
  
"I hate politics." Ranma muttered.  
  
"Believe it or not so do I," Shampoo laughed. "And I'm being groomed as great grandmother's successor so there is the irony for you. I'd better get dinner started, if you need me I'll be in the kitchen." Shampoo waved to Ranma let the door close, which was little more than a cloth flap.  
  
Shampoo was very worried about Ranma. She had come to know her very well over the years they traveled together seeking a cure and she knew that the red head was very depressed. Four years of traveling around the world had been a huge waste of time. Now Ranma was a virtual exile away from her family and friends. She could never see her mother again for fear of the seppoku agreement. As if Shampoo would let Nodoka live long enough to succeed in making Ranma fulfill that stupid promise, but the Amazon suppressed that chain of thought. Ranma loved Akane, but was now unable to express that love or even fulfill the pledge to marry a Tendo. She could not even marry Ranma, her own airen, because of Josenkyo. There was an alternative, but Shampoo was not certain if Ranma was quite ready to know about that certain aspect of the Nyanchiczu lifestyle yet. Still, the idea was tempting, but there was one thing in the way. . .Mousse.  
  
Two days later Ranma went on a walk through the village to get a feel for the place. This was going to be her home for now on and she wanted to know it inside and out. The walk however turned out to something she was not expecting as a certain myopic martial artist confronted her.  
  
"RANMA PREPARE TO DIE!"  
  
"Not now." Ranma sighed and turned to meet Mousse's attack.  
  
Despite her depression Ranma had not failed to keep in good shape. Her practice of the Art was one of the only things that seemed to keep her going. She leapt into the air and flipped backwards avoiding a barbed chain to mere inches, landed with incredible grace on both feet then swayed to the side smoothly to dodge a barrage of oncoming shuriken stars.  
  
"I will not let you have Shampoo, she belongs to me!" the enraged martial artist yelled as he produced twin swords from his shirt sleeves.  
  
"Mousse no baka!" Ranma yelled at him. "Listen to me, I can't marry Shampoo anymore!"  
  
"You're lying!" Mousse cried as he slashed at his rival. Ranma back flipped out of the way just in time.  
  
"I'm frozen in my female form, this time for good." Ranma told him.  
  
"You can't fool me with your tricks Saotome!" Mousse snarled and launched a handful of small spiked balls at Ranma's face.  
  
The young Saotome caught each one gingerly in her fingers using the speed of the Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken and threw them back at the nearsighted boy. The balls hit Mousse in the arms and legs, the impact propelled him backwards, and the spike stuck through the cloth of his baggy clothing to pin him to the wall of a building.  
  
"Listen you baka!" Ranma shouted at him as she reach into an open window and pulled out a steaming kettle of water. "I can't become a guy anymore!" To demonstrate this she pour the hot water over her head. Mousse's eyes went wide behind his Coke bottle thick glasses as he realized there was no change. He knew enough about Ranma to know that he would not deliberate lock himself in female form using the waterproof soap, so what Ranma said had to be true. To Ranma's surprise though, this did not change the boy's attitude. There was something about the Nyanchiczu lifestyle that he knew and Ranma did not.  
  
"You may not be able to marry her, but I still won't let you 'have' her!" Mousse yelled and pulled himself free from the wall.  
  
"BAKA!" Ranma cried at him as she dodged a spike chain. "I'm a girl now!"  
  
"I was at the council meeting with my aunt when the matriarch presented herself." Mousse told her, his face a mask of rage. "She told the council that she adopted you into her clan, that you now an Amazon."  
  
"So, and I'm a girl!" Ranma spat back.  
  
"You really don't understand do you." Mousse said shaking his head, then he pulled a huge pole arm out of seemingly nowhere. "Well, I won't let you live long enough to find out!"  
  
"Find out what!?" Ranma demanded as she dodged.  
  
"Stand still and face your death you-OOF!" Mousse began but was struck from behind by a familiar looking bonbori mace.  
  
Shampoo stepped over the boy's unconscious form and shook her head in disgust. "Mousse, you are so stupid. It is a wonder your clan even allows you to live."  
  
"Sham-chan, what was he talking about?" Ranma asked the girl as they walked home leaving a badly mangled Mousse behind them.  
  
"Uh, nothing, why do you ask." Shampoo said, obviously trying to avoid the question.  
  
"Maybe it was just him rambling again." Ranma said as she folded her arms behind her head the way she usually did when she walked. Of course, Ranma never possessed a sense of feminine modesty and so never really understood why men ogled her when she walked like this.  
  
Later that day had been one of the worst experiences in Ranma's life. It was worse then the time she and Shampoo met the boys on the beach. She had been watching a tournament between the boys of two rival clans. The men fought bare chested on top of the suspended log. She found herself captivated by the curves of their pectorals and the features of their washboard stomaches. Before she knew what was happening to her Ranma felt a very noticeable warm wetness between her legs and a tingling sensation that ran up her spin. Her reaction was one of terror and revulsion, revulsion in herself and the feelings she just experienced.  
  
In the middle of the night Ranma rose from her bed, tear streaks still noticeable on her face. She knew that there was only one way to end her torment and be free once more. Slowly, so as not to alert the old matriarch or Shampoo, Ranma slipped out of her room and into the kitchen. It was a typical cross between a medieval style kitchen with a wood burning heart for cooking and a modern day kitchen with the addition of several electric appliances which were powered by a generator turbine which used the power of a nearby waterfall to supply electricity to the village. Careful not to make any noise, Ranma walked to one of the knife blocks and withdrew a large filleting knife that was just perfect for what she had in mind. It was not a tanto, but it was close enough.  
  
Ranma crept back to her room and knelt on the floor. Her hands held the blade of the razor sharp knife inches from her stomach. It would be just long enough to do the job. Ranma's entire life flashed before her eyes, in a brief moment as the knife sat poised to end her existence she witnessed all of the events of her life unfold before her. A tear fell down her cheek. Forgive me Akane, forgive me Shampoo. Ranma raised her arms preparing to strike.  
  
"NNNOOOO!!!!!"  
  
The knife never met Ranma's flesh. Shampoo rushed into the room and batted it out of Ranma's hands. She took a frightened, confused, and sad-beyond-description Ranma into her arms and rocked her as the redhead wept.  
  
"Please just let me die, let my torment and suffering end." she whispered, her words tore gaping holes in Shampoo's heart. She knew of only way to help Ranma, and that was to give her a new reason to "want" to live.  
  
"I can't." Shampoo replied in a whisper. "I love you too much, I'm not going to give up on you."  
  
"I'm a girl, I can't love you. . .that way." Ranma replied between sobs.  
  
"You are Amazon now, Ranma." Shampoo told her as she ran her fingers through the smaller girl's hair. "There are no barriers between us." With that said, Shampoo reached up to her left shoulder and undid the tie that held it together letting the soft fabric fall away. Ranma reacted in typical Ranma fashion to this, with fear at seeing Shampoo naked from the waist up, but Shampoo held her firm and was not about to let her go.  
  
"B-B-B-B-But we're both girls!" Ranma said in a loud whisper.  
  
"And we are Amazons, I love you and you love me, and among our people it is acceptable." Shampoo told her softly, her hand slowly slid down Ranma's body to her breasts.  
  
"Y-Y-You mean, your people, they-" Ranma looked like she was about to faint.  
  
"When two warriors love each other, it is a cherished thing by our people, gender means very little where love is concerned." Shampoo said reassuringly. "Why do you think I always glomped onto you whether you were a man or a woman?"  
  
Ranma's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets at this sudden revelation. She had always assumed it was because Shampoo knew he was really a guy in that girl's luscious body, but it never occurred to him that she was physically attracted to "both" her forms. Tears were welling in Shampoo's eyes now as she held Ranma closer to her body. "I love you so much Ranma, I can't let you go, I won't let you go." she said as her body started to shake as she began to cry. "All I ever wanted was for you to let me into your heart, for you to let me show you just how much I love you. Please let me in Ranma, I love you, I need you. Without you, whether you're a girl or a boy my life means nothing."  
  
"Sham-chan." Ranma breathed in surprise at this sudden glimpse into Shampoo's soul. She really does love me, its never was just the laws of her people that made her act that way, she genuinely loves me.  
  
"I love you too." Ranma said with emotion. For the first time in her life Ranma let go, let go of the hesitation, let go of the guilt, the sadness, the fear. She let go of it all letting the warm light of Shampoo's love shower her soul. As she looked into Shampoo's eyes she felt the fear and sadness of four years drain away as if it were being washed away from her like a gentle rain washes away the sand. Ranma reached out towards the woman who meant so much to her for four years, the one person who helped her keep it together while her world came crumbling apart around her.  
  
Cologne eased the door flap to Ranma's room closed as the two inside shared an intense and passionate kiss. The old woman breathed a sigh of relief, but she was very sad at the same time. Shampoo had finally won her airen, but the cost had been almost too high to bare. No heirs could come from this relationship, but then bisexual relationships between consenting warriors was not uncommon among the Amazons. Her memories reached back over the centuries to her youth and the young blond haired warrior who had been her beloved partner for many years before she met the one who would become her beloved airen. Cologne envied and pitied Shampoo and Ranma both at the same time. She envied their love, and pitied their circumstances that led to it. In the end it meant that a powerful warrior would keep her life and become a contributing member of the tribe one day. Little did Cologne realize that fate had an interesting twist in mind for her great granddaughter and her lover.  
  
* * *  
  
Akane stared at Ranma for a moment in total disbelief. "You and Shampoo were lovers?"  
  
Shampoo wrapped an arm around Ranma's shoulders lovingly and kissed her on the cheek. "We still are, but we do both love Mousse very much also." Ranma told her. "Besides, with all of his obsessing over Shampoo he acquired a rather formidable list of unique 'skills' that he intended to use on her once he finally won her over." Ranma gave a sheepish grin a blushed profusely.  
  
The old Akane reawakened after years of suppression from sadness and guilt. In her mind she screamed, "That pervert! He wouldn't touch me but when he gets Shampoo alone he does it with her instead!" An ethereal mallet began to form in Akane's hands as her chi began to manifest. But, the thought was soon quenched by that part of Akane that had matured. It crushed the old bad habits like an even greater mallet. Ranma was in a very bad situation, her emotions were fragile, she was scared, lonely, she needed to be loved and Shampoo was more than willing to give her that love., her more rational mind suggested. The mallet in her hands popped out of existence before it was even visible. Akane fought back the tears, she should have been here to comfort Ranma in her time of need, but fate deemed things to be different.  
  
"Somehow, somehow I knew things might end up this way." Ukyo said sadly. "Ever since we met up again after ten years and I find out about your curse and about Shampoo."  
  
"How so?" Akane asked her.  
  
Ukyo shrugged. "Woman's intuition."  
  
"So, let me get this straight, sexual relationships between two people of the same sex is acceptable among the Amazons?" Kogame asked.  
  
"Only if they of warrior status like Shampoo and Ranma." Shampoo replied.  
  
"Meaning, in Amazon talk, only if they are women." Nabiki said cutting through any confusion that might come out of Shampoo's comment.  
  
"So when an Amazon speaks of someone being a warrior, they really mean a woman." Kogame said finally getting it.  
  
"There 'are' male warriors, but we usually just call them males." Ranma explained. "We don't suppress them, enslave them, or overtly control them. In many ways they are our equals in everyday life, but when it comes to who is in command of the family it is the women who make the decisions and who make the laws and run the village council."  
  
"Sounds pretty sensible to me." said Nabiki with her usual Tendo Mercenary smirk.  
  
"You would like that, Nabiki." Akane smirked at her.  
  
---  
  
Genma looked up at the great tree and the complex interweaving of platforms and rope bridges that connected the different parts of his son's, no daughter's, home among the Amazons. He sat upon an ancient stump next to the massive trunk of the great tree. It was by far the largest tree he had ever seen in this life. It towered into the sky like a massive skyscraper. He was not a good judge of things, but he guessed the tree had to be as tall as the Tokyo Tower. How it possibly stood all this time in the mountain province of Quing Hai and was never investigated by the Chinese government or western scientists he just could fathom. Right now, Saotome Genma could not think about things like that. His mind was elsewhere. His mind was on his child.  
  
"You look like you need a drink." Happosai said as he stepped into Genma's view and offered him a bottle of sake.  
  
"What am I going to do Master?" Genma asked taking the bottle and downing its contents in one swallow.  
  
The diminutive mega-perverted martial artist sat down next to his student. Even in this own warped imagination, the pint-sized sex fiend never could have imagined this sort of fate destined for Saotome Ranma. He had to admit, pregnancy looked good on Ranma. Ever with a bloated stomach she still looked like the hot teenage girl of his wet dreams. Yet, Happosai's own warped sense of honor would not allow him to take advantage of Ranma in her state. Of course, after she has the baby she would be fair game again. And everyone knows, that when a woman gets pregnant her breasts get bigger, I can't wait!, he thought to himself.  
  
"Don't look so glum, your gonna be a grandpa." Happosai told him.  
  
Happosai was expecting Genma to whip around and grab him by the front of his shirt. "It wasn't supposed to be like this!" he shouted into Happosai's face. "Oh Kami-sama! She's gonna kill us, she's gonna kill the both of us!"  
  
The diminutive martial arts master easily slipped out of Genma's grasp. He used the fat man's head as a spring board and came down with this pipe leading the way. Genma slumped to the ground from the impact like a sack of potatoes.  
  
"You're pathetic, is that all you care about!?" Happosai yelled at him. "What that crazy woman you married is going to do!"  
  
"But, the promise Master, the promise!" Genma cried. He was silence when Happosai reached out with his pipe and pulled the fat man's left leg out from under him.  
  
"If I recall, Nodoka already declared Ranma to be a man among men, so the promise is fulfilled and no longer enforceable." he said.  
  
"She won't see it that way, I know my own wife!" Genma growled as he climbed to his feet. "Ranma failed, now our lives are forfeit!"  
  
Happosai just laughed. "You are forgetting one thing. She would never deprive her grandchild of her mother, she may be many things but Nodoka is not heartless."  
  
"I agree." replied a low, gravely voice.  
  
The two men turned to face the ancient Amazon Matriarch balanced on her walking stick. She gave Happosai a quick angry glare then turned a venomous eye to Ranma's father. "Your child survived a journey through the pits of hell, and all you can care about when you are finally reunited is your own worthless carcass." she growled.  
  
"I am not even biologically related to her, yet I feel as if that girl in there is my own daughter." She went on. "I love her more than you can know. It ripped my heart to pieces that I was unable to save her manhood and restore Ranma to normal. Do you know what that feels like to fail someone you love like that. You don't do you, because you never sacrificed for anything in your entire pointless life."  
  
"Now wait a minute-" Genma began to protest.  
  
"The only good thing that came out of your existence on this Earth was Ranma's birth, for that I thank you." the old matriarch said. "For the rest, and what I just heard you say now I should kill you where you stand."  
  
Happosai began to back away. "I've seen that look before, been nice knowing you Genma old boy." he said before shooting away in one powerful leap.  
  
"Give me one reason why I should spare your life?" Cologne asked as she stared into Genma's terrified face.  
  
"Ranma." was the only thing Genma could say.  
  
"Good answer." the ancient matriarch replied. "Ranma would never forgive me if I took your life, even though you deserve to loose it. Despite all the things you have done to her she still loves you. I for one do not think you deserving of that love, but it is Ranma's decision and I will respect her for it."  
  
"Thank you, Cologne." Genma said with a relieved sigh.  
  
Cologne's expression turned very hard,"Do not thank me, I wish not to take anything from you, least not your worthless words." With that said she turned away and pogo-sticked back towards the massive tree house. The large Saotome patriarch plopped down onto the stump, cupped his face in this hands, and began to cry. For the first time in his life his tears were not for himself, but for his child. His daughter.  
  
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TO BE CONTINUED....  
  
Moko Takabisha Bakusai Tenketsu Nyanchiczu Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken Umisenken Yamasenken Joketsuzoku Hiryu Shoten Ha 


	3. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: "Ranma 1/2" is the registered trademark and copyright of Viz Communications, Kitty Productions, and Rumiko Takahashi. All rights reserved. "Tenchi Universe (Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki TV)" is the registered trademark and copyright of Pioneer, LDC, AIC, Inc., and Kajishima Masaki. All rights reserved. All other Anime and non-Anime characters who appear in this fic are the registered trademark and copyright of their respective owners. All rights reserved.  
  
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Special Note: Some interesting ideas came to mind with this fic. I hope you like the direction it is going to be headed.  
  
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R A N M A F O R E V E R  
  
by Michael "TheZorch" Haney  
  
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Chapter 2  
  
Mousse was tired, very tired. Life for a male, even one with his rather high status in the village, was very hard. It was not because of hard labor but all the responsibilities that went with being Shampoo and Ranma's husband. Essentially he was the highest ranking male in the village, and thus was sought you by many people in the village for one reason or another. He knew most of them did it to jockey their position in the social hierarchy of Chinese Amazon society. To associate with the husband of the future Matriarch and the greatest warrior in the history of the Joketsuzoku was a high honor. There had also been the wolf problem. Wolves had been taking goats during the night and their numbers had to be brought down a bit. Hunting wolves in the rugged terrain of the mountains around the Josenkyo valley was hard work, very hard work. Killing wolves, that was easy, tracking them was a slight challenge, but chasing wolves over some of the most Kami forsaken territory in China was downright nearly impossible unless you were a really good martial artist and you knew the area. Mousse was both the strongest male fighting in the village, nearly one of the best trackers second only to Perfume, and he had an intimate understanding of the land for hundreds of miles around.  
  
He slowly trudged his way towards their tree house home, a tree that towered as high as a skyscraper in Tokyo. Its true origins were a part of the myths and legends of the Joketsuzoku. All he wanted to do was see his little pride and joy, little Rosebud, give his two loving wives a kiss, and soak in a very hot bath. The Chinese idea of bathing was slightly similar to the Japanese, and it had been Ranma's idea to install the distinctly Japanese bathing facilities in the tree house. Near the base of the tree the Master of Hidden Weapons was something he hadn't seen in a very long time. A man garbed in nothing but a martial arts gi and wearing a head wrap with a pair of sports glasses perched on his nose. In front of his was a diminutive, old, wrinkled prune of a man with small tufts of white hair on the sides of his balding head.  
  
"Saotome Genma and Happoai?" Mouse said in surprise as he walked up.  
  
Happi raised his sake bottle to the man in greeting. "Hiya there Mousse my boy, that's a mighty beautiful pair of ladies you got in there." he said.  
  
Of course Mousse knew what Happosai was like, he was not stupid. Most of the time. This time he reserved his judgment about what the old freak said for later. Mousse knew all too well that Shampoo and Ranma could take the old coot easily, even with Ranma being in her condition. "When did the two of you get here?" Mousse asked.  
  
"Earlier today, we came with Akane, Nabiki, and some of the others." Happosai told him.  
  
"A-A-Akane is here?" Mousse stammered, suddenly feeling a slight feeling of dread at that. There was no way of know what Akane's reaction to Ranma might be. He started running for the tree house when Genma spoke up.  
  
"They're all inside having a talk."  
  
A bit more calmly, Mousse headed to the tree house and could hear the sound of people inside talking. There were a few laughs coming from inside instead of the sound of fighting and heavy objects being thrown around as he expected. Just in case he made sure his many weapons were in place in the sleeves of his robes and slowly opened the door. Stepping inside the room suddenly went quiet as several pairs of eyes turned towards him. Mousse instantly recognized Akane. That hairstyle was unmistakable, and so was Nabiki's. He recognized Dr. Tofu and assumed the woman with him was Kasumi. She was still quite beautiful after ten years. Nabiki was certainly a looker now in her older non-teenaged years too. Akane it seems blossomed sometime during the past ten years because Mousse did not remember Akane looking that good. Tendo Soun was unmistakable with that mustache, though he had a few gray hairs on his head now. The other beauty in the room could be none other than the Okonomiyaki chef Kuonji Ukyo who had been a thorn in Shampoo's side almost as long as Akane had been, with one exception, Ukyo was easily a match for Shampoo skill wise.  
  
There was one other person in the room he did not recognized and the object of all of his affection as a father was sleeping contentedly in her lap. She was an older woman but still quite beautiful. She seemed to command a great deal of respect and cast about her an aura of peace much like Kasumi. Then, Mousse turned his eyes towards the two most important people in this entire world. First was his first true love, Shampoo, now his wife, and the second was a person he never expected himself to fall in love with but now he could not imagine his life without her in it.  
  
"Welcome home airen." Shampoo said politely.  
  
"Uh, when did everybody show up?" he asked with a confused expression on his face. That last he had heard nobody back in Nerima knew anything about Ranma's whereabouts at all. It was assumed that it was for the best that they never find Ranma, but here they were the entire gang was assembled again. That was when Mousse for the first time noticed the tall man with the yellow bandanna. Ryoga!  
  
"Just a little while ago, could we switch to Nihongo because none of them knows Mandarin." Ranma said.  
  
"Uh, hi everybody." Mousse said waving to the others. To his surprise Akane stepped forward, reached out, and hugged him.  
  
"Thank you for taking care of Ranma." she said, her voice was cracking a little. When she pulled away he could see tears in her eyes.  
  
Mousse cleared his throat of the frog that was suddenly there and said, "No problem, there isn't anything I wouldn't do for her. I love her with all my heart and my life wouldn't be the same without her and Shampoo."  
  
"I guess this means we've officially stepped into the Twilight Zone people." Ukyo said with a friendly smirk on her face.  
  
"What's the Twilight Zone?" Mousse asked.  
  
"It nothing, Spat-uh-Ukyo making joke." Shampoo said switching to Nihongo.  
  
"Where's your glasses?" Ryoga asked.  
  
"Oh." Mousse smiled. "I got laser eye surgery in Hong Kong, my vision isn't one hundred percent, but its way better than it had been."  
  
"Good enough to track wolves in this Kami forsaken terrain." Ranma said as she waddled up to her husband and picked a few loose twigs out of his robes.  
  
"They were taking the village goats again." he explained.  
  
"Usually happens this time of year when the wolf population explodes." Ranma said to the others. The unreal scene before them became every more unreal when Ranma wrapped her arms around Mousse's shoulders and they kissed. Not an ordinary kiss mind you, but a long passionate one reserved for those whom you're been very intimate with. When they separated Mousse had a slightly stunned look on his face.  
  
"I should come home more often." Mousse stammered.  
  
"Watch it buster, that's what caused this remember." Ranma smiled and patted her massive stomach.  
  
"Wow, you really HAVE become a girl." Nabiki said in astonishment.  
  
"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I would have never believed it." Ryoga said, equally astonished.  
  
"What, you guys thought I was exaggerating?" Ranma laughed at them.  
  
"No, I guess this pretty much clinches things." Akane said. "Everything has been such a shock to us we needed this to cement it into reality."  
  
"Yeah, imagine Ranma and Mousse in a lip lock, a lip lock like THAT." Ukyo said. "My last memory of you two was that huge fight you two had over Shampoo."  
  
Ranma laughed, "Oh, I made Mousse pay me back for every fight we'd ever been in. Didn't I?"  
  
Mousse suddenly turned bright red as he remember the many late night pay back sessions he had with his red headed wife. Her multiple screaming orgasms woke up the entire village sometimes, especially since Ranma had a tendency to loose control of her chi during a particularly intense orgasm one night. He remember that night because it had been raining, and a naked and seriously turned on Ranma suddenly found a duck sitting on her chest after unknowingly firing off a Moko Takabisha.  
  
"Shampoo think maybe that what make the twins." Shampoo laughed.  
  
"And the village healer said no sex until these two pop out." Ranma said rubbing her stomach and pouted. "Its the only I don't like about being pregnant."  
  
"I discovered something about Ranma after we started, uh, being intimate." Mousse said.  
  
"Shampoo find out first, Ranma not can get enough." Shampoo said.  
  
Nabiki tried very hard not to hit the floor laughing. "Ranma's a nympho?"  
  
"Look who's talking." Akane turned to her middle sister. "You and Kuno were banging the sheets two years before you married."  
  
"Oh, and you and Ryoga weren't getting all sweaty on the boat ride to China." Nabiki teased.  
  
"Now we are in the Twilight Zone." Ranma said. "Ryoga actually stayed conscious during that." She was trying hard not to laugh also.  
  
"Who could sleep with the way she screams." Ukyo said.  
  
"Hey, not bad, I'm proud of you Ryoga you finally grew a backbone when it comes to women." Ranma teased.  
  
"Uh, I had little choice, I just went along for the ride." Ryoga said, then at the end added. "Literally." The room erupted into laughter.  
  
Akane looked down at her feet innocently, blushing from the shoulders up and said, "I had a lot of pent up frustration and well it just got the better of me."  
  
"There's nothing to be ashamed of." Ranma told her.  
  
"I hate to interrupt this wonderful reunion of old friends but I think somebody needs a fresh diaper." Kogame said from where she was sitting with Soun who was still out of it.  
  
"Wooo! Someone is ripe!" Mousse wrinkled his nose when he picked up his little girl.  
  
"I've changed a lot of diapers in my day." Kogame said as she watched Mousse go over to the place used as the changing area. "My first husband and I, Kami-sama rest of soul, had four little girls."  
  
"I don't think I've ever had the pleasure." Mousse said looking over at her.  
  
"Tendo Kogame, I'm Akane, Nabiki, and Kasumi's stepmother." Kogame said with a kind motherly smile.  
  
"Wow, so Tendo Soun got remarried, that's great." Mousse smiled back.  
  
"My dear husband would thank you, but I think he's still in shock." Kogame said as she patted Soun's hand. The patriarch of the Tendo clan just stared straight ahead seemingly unaware of what was going on around him.  
  
_____  
  
The group soon discovered just how big the tree house home was. After Mousse took Rosebud to the nursery to change her Shampoo and Ranma took the others around on a tour of the house. Akane was already acquainted with the bathroom. The addition of a traditionally Japanese bath area has been Ranma's idea and her two spouses had no problem with it. There were guest areas higher up in the tree accessible via a series of hanging walkways and stairs. Akane marveled at how well Ranma made it up the stairs in her condition and realized that for someone who was pregnant she was in really good shape.  
  
The guest house was large featuring a common room and a few bedrooms each with a futon sleeping mats. Akane, Nabiki, and Ukyo decided to share a room giving Kasumi and Dr. Tofu and Kogame and Soun their own rooms. The last remaining room was left for Ranma's father and Happosai to share. There was even a half-bath with hot and cold running water inside, but the lighting was by oil lamps. The tour soon left the guest area and moved even higher up into the tree. Akane looked over the side of the walkway they were on and could see the ground through the tree's thick canopy.  
  
"We're really high up." she said.  
  
"This tree has got to be as high as Tokyo Tower." said Ukyo who also looked down.  
  
"Where did this tree come from?" Dr. Tofu asked Ranma.  
  
The red head shrugged her shoulders. "It was always here, even when I came originally getting cursed." she said. "There are some ancient legends that say this tree descended from the heavens in the belly of a great fiery dragon. Others say it was planted here by the hands of the Kami."  
  
Soun seemed to be coming out of his initial shock but still looked at Ranma with an unbelieving expression on his face. He looked around at their surroundings in astonishment taking in the size of the next building built without the boughs of the great tree.  
  
"Its a Dojo!" Akane shouted in excitement.  
  
"Aiya! Akane got good eye." Shampoo smiled. "Shampoo and Ranma spar here."  
  
"Wow, its bigger than yours daddy." Nabiki commented to her father.  
  
Soun cleared his throat and said, "Well, uh, its good to see she's keeping up with her training."  
  
"Training?" Ranma looked at him. "That was then Mr. Tendo, now I'm the master and I teach classes here."  
  
"Ranma has progressed a long way in her martial arts knowledge." Mousse explained, while carrying Rosebud on his shoulders. "Cologne took it upon herself to train her in many of our most secret techniques."  
  
"Yeah, remember the Hiryu Shoten Ha?" Ranma asked and Soun nodded. "Well, there are some techniques that make that one look like a beginner's move."  
  
She turned to Ryoga and said, "Oh, and there is a more effective counter move to the Shi Shi Hokadon than the Moko Takabisha."  
  
"I can't use that technique anymore." Ryoga said looking a bit shame faced. "Its been a long time since I've been really depressed."  
  
"The last time I think he used it was when Akane discovered his dirty little secret." Kogame said. "The local authorities thought a miniature nuke had gone off."  
  
The next section was massive compared to the other structures. These were the living quarters of the tree's three inhabitants. The lower room where they had been when everyone arrived turned out to be where the three usually entertained guests. Very few ever got to see this area of the tree home. Being family, everyone was welcome to come here and whenever they wanted. The private living area of Ranma, Mousse, and Shampoo was not lavish but it was spacious and decorated in a mix of Japanese and Chinese styles.  
  
One of the most remarkable discoveries about the private quarters was the full kitchen which featured a stone hearth, working plumbing, and an old style ice box. There was a sitting room with a low table much like that back at the Tendo home, and a half bath. Unlike a traditional Chinese home when a man was married to more than one wife Shampoo and Ranma did not have separate living areas all to themselves. In fact, there were three bedrooms for when the three wanted to sleep alone, and a larger one for when the three wanted to be together. Each room has a stone hearth.  
  
"Aren't you afraid of fire having hearths up in a tree house like this?" Dr. Tofu asked.  
  
Ranma shook her head. "The wood we used to build the house came from the branches of this tree that fell to the ground over the years." she said. "You don't want to know what we had to do to cut it, ordinary saws wouldn't cut it, and fire doesn't seem to effect it at all."  
  
"Its called ironwood by the locals." Mousse explained.  
  
"Ironwood?" Kogame looked at him in surprise.  
  
"You've heard of it?" he asked her.  
  
Kogame reached into her kimono and produced two knitting needles made of wood. They had ornate Chinese symbols engraved in them. "These were handed down in my family over many generations." she said. "It is said they are made from ironwood. They won't burn, are as strong as steel, and not even the sharpest sword has been able to cut through them."  
  
"Mother's family practices a form of martial arts involving sewing." Kasumi explained.  
  
"Martial Arts Knitting, sweetheart." Kogame corrected her. "It was perfected during the feudal era by the wives of men who had to go off to war. With no men to protect them the women developed a martial arts style using yarn. It is very effective."  
  
"Just ask Happosai." Akane laughed. "Mom got him good."  
  
Ranma laughed, "I guess I missed out on a lot didn't I?"  
  
"I wouldn't say that son-uh, oh uh, Ranma, beside Kogame and me meeting one another not much else has changed back home." Soun said, catching himself when he started to call Ranma "son".  
  
"Its alright Mr. Tendo, I've had enough adventures the past ten years for the two of us." Ranma smiled at him.  
  
The last part of the great tree house was accessible only via a elevator that worked via a complicated array of ropes and pulleys with weights controlled by levers. Mousse worked the levers and they began to long journey up towards the top of the great tree. Everyone's ears popped as they reached the top to find a large observation deck.  
  
"You can see for miles from up here." Ranma said.  
  
"This is so unreal." Ryoga said as he looked out over the vast landscape surrounding them.  
  
Ranma put her arm around Akane's shoulder and pointed at a mountain visible in the distance. "That's Phoenix Mountain." she said, then pointed her finger at a smaller mountain a short distance away. "And that is Josendo."  
  
"It seems like a million years have gone by since then." Akane said sadly.  
  
"You alright?" Ranma asked her.  
  
Akane looked at her. "I-I guess."  
  
Ryoga looked at Ranma and then at Akane. He turned to the others and gestured towards the lift. Taking his silent message everyone went to the elevator and started the descent. "I think those two need some time alone." he said a short time later. Mousse and Shampoo nodded in agreement. Soun said nothing and started crying silently.  
  
_____  
  
"I'm sorry I never came back, I should have called you or wrote to you instead of leaving you hanging like that." Ranma said softly. "You deserved better."  
  
Akane turned to the red head girl and peered into her eyes. She could tell just by looking at Ranma's eyes that the girl had changed a great deal, but overall they were still the same beautiful blue eyes she loved to look at. "I was so frightened for you, I didn't know if you were alive or dead." she said.  
  
Ranma stifled a soft sob, a single tear fell from her eye. "I'm sorry."  
  
"A part of me still loves you." Akane said with a weak smile.  
  
"Me too." Ranma said.  
  
Tears burst out in the youngest Tendo sister's eyes as she threw her arms around Ranma's neck. She did take care not to press too hard on her stomach. "I'm so glad you're alright!" she cried. "I missed you so much Ranma!"  
  
The red head returned her embrace. "You have no idea how much I missed you." she said. "I was so afraid to come home though, I was afraid of what mom would do if she found out I was turned into a girl for keeps, and I was afraid that-that-that you wouldn't love me anymore." With that last part said Ranma looked at the floor.  
  
Akane lift her face to hers and said softly, "I'll always love you no matter what Ranma."  
  
"I'm glad you and Ryoga are doing good together." Ranma said with a smile.  
  
"We were ok until I found out he was P-Chan." Akane laughed. "But, that was a long time ago and we've worked past that."  
  
"I thought for sure you'd kill him." Ranma said.  
  
"If it wasn't for mom I would have." Akane said.  
  
"Your new mom seems really nice." Ranma said.  
  
"She's great." Akane said then pulled at the collar of her blouse. "She's great at knitting and sewing. She made this for me three years ago, and she's as good a cook as Kasumi."  
  
Akane looked around at the great tree below them and asked, "How did you get the village elders to let you live in this tree?"  
  
"It was my idea and Cologne mediated." Ranma explained. "She said it was appropriate since Shampoo was going to be the next Matriarch."  
  
"Does she really want the job?" Akane asked.  
  
"Before she didn't for a while, but recently she's gotten more involved in local village politics so I'd say she does." Ranma told her.  
  
"How are you doing?" Akane asked her softly.  
  
"Better than I have in years." Ranma replied with a smile.  
  
"Those years on the road with Cologne and Shampoo must have been rough." said Akane.  
  
"The company was great but the whole trip was one giant disappointment after another." Ranma sighed,  
  
"I'm sorry you couldn't find a cure." Akane replied. "I guess I can understand why you never came back. You always hated your female form."  
  
"Not anymore though." Ranma said shaking her head. "If I had never gotten that curse I would have never learned how wonderful a feeling it is to have a life growing inside of you. And, I would never have married a great guy like Mousse."  
  
"What about the cramps and the morning sickness?" Akane asked her.  
  
"Well, I never said it was a complete bed of roses." Ranma replied with a laugh. Akane laughed with her.  
  
"No, you just enjoy how the babies are made." Akane laughed.  
  
"Damn straight!" Ranma replied. "Of course it also helps that Mousse is hung like a freakin horse." Akane blushed furiously but laughed.  
  
"Uh, well, Ryoga isn't small either." she said blushing furiously. "Actually, I'm amazed he could get it all the way in."  
  
Ranma laughed and put her arm around Akane's shoulder. "I guess were both a couple of perverts." she said.  
  
"No we're both girls with a healthy appreciation of the male 'organ'." Akane giggled. "Happosai's the pervert."  
  
"Healthy appreciation?" Ranma said. "Hell, you mean addiction."  
  
"Technically Ryoga and I have only, uh, did it, uh, only once." Akane said blushing furiously.  
  
"I lost count of how many times me and Mousse went at it." Ranma said wistfully. "I think we went through the Kama Sutra at least three or four dozen times."  
  
"Wow!" Akane said in surprise. "Shampoo wasn't kidding when she said you're a nymphomaniac."  
  
"Only when it comes to our hubby." Ranma said with a smile. "Or whenever Shampoo gets into one of her frisky moods. Which is about two or three times a week."  
  
"Uh, do you and Shampoo really-" Akane began to ask.  
  
"Most of the Amazon women in the village are bisexual." Ranma explained. "It developed during times when there was a shortage of men in the village or when the men were away on the hunt."  
  
"I thought the women did the hunting?" Akane asked.  
  
"It used to be that way, but in recent years things have changed a little and men have gotten more privileges and responsibilities." Ranma told her. "They still can't reside as an elder in the council and the women are still considered the heads of the household."  
  
"When Shampoo becomes Matriarch what will that make you?" Akane asked out of curiosity.  
  
"I won't have a title really, but I will have a great deal of status in the village." Ranma explained. "Some of the elders aren't happy with it. Actually, its these two particular elders Ambergris and Lotion, they don't recognize me as a real woman. Their clans have the least status in the village so it doesn't really cause me too much trouble."  
  
"Because you're a girl due to the curse, right?" said Akane.  
  
Ranma nodded. "Yeah, they say since I wasn't born a girl I shouldn't be allowed to have a warrior status, but the other elders remember Josendo and what I did there so those two are usually ignored." she said. "Besides, most of the elders except for Fragrance are afraid of Cologne, and Cologne has taken it upon herself to act as my protector."  
  
"You mean there was trouble when you first came here?" Akane asked looking at her.  
  
"At first the council didn't want to recognize my warrior status until Cologne reminded them who was Matriarch and that she adopted me into her clan." Ranma explained. "It took some time to get the other women to accept me. For about a year I felt like an outsider it the village until Shampoo made that deal with Mousse that if he took me as second wife she'd consent to marry him."  
  
Ranma guided Akane to a row of wooden benches and sat down. "I guess you wanna know how that all came about." she said. Akane nodded.  
  
"Well, Shampoo and me were lovers, it was almost a year since I arrived back at the village after our trip to find a cure for me."  
  
-----  
  
"Matriarch Cologne, it has come to the attention of this council that your chosen heir Shampoo has not yet taken a husband." Fragrance said looking at the ancient leader of the Amazon tribe with defiance in her eyes. "Since her current chosen airen is now unable to fulfill his obligation to marry her due to unfortunate circumstances the issue of her honor is now at stake. The council is aware of Shampoo's continuous failures to secure her chosen airen in the past, and if she is to maintain her honor she must be wed." The ancient elder, who looked almost like a mirror image of Cologne except for the fact that she had a her long white hair tied in a braid, look around at her fellow elders who nodded in agreement. Murmurs could be heard from many of the women who were in attendance at this session of the elder council.  
  
"Shampoo has not as yet found a suitable husband, and I will not push her into making any hastily made decisions, Elder Fragrance." Cologne replied narrowing her eyes at the other ancient elder.  
  
"I'm afraid the time for that has passed." Fragrance told her. "We made a decision before you arrived that if Shampoo wishes to continue to be your heir as Matriarch and be recognized as such she must take a husband."  
  
"You made this decision, and by what authority did you make this decision without my presence." Cologne glowered at her.  
  
"It is our prerogative as elders of the ruling council of the Joketsuzoku to do what is necessary for the wellbeing of the village." Fragrance replied defiantly.  
  
Cologne wanted to strangle the woman, but knew she was right. The council had that right, which mean that Shampoo was going to have to take a husband and soon. "Very well, I will discuss it with her." Cologne said.  
  
"We are aware that there is already a suitable man for her who is more than willing to be Shampoo's airen." another elder spoke up, her name was Teal. She was younger than Cologne and Fragrance by perhaps a hundred years and still retained some of her figure from her youth. This of course made her the envy of many of the older members of the council. She was blood related to Fragrance after a marriage between their respective clans.  
  
Cologne narrowed her eyes at Fragrance again. Mousse was her great grandson. "I see." Cologne said as Fragrance smiled from ear to ear. She was a political animal, a shark and the council chambers were her regular hunting ground. Cologne knew full well she was up against a very challenging opponent. This was not a martial arts battle, but it was a battle none the less.  
  
"You understand our position then." Fragrance said to her, still with that broad smile. The council session concluded soon after without much else being resolved, and all attempts by Cologne to postpone Shampoo's choosing of the husband failed.  
  
Ranma and Shampoo sat together in Cologne's living room sipping tea together. The house was not the most lavish in the village, it was large and decorated with distinctively Chinese pieces of artwork. The two girls sat together at the table on padded cushions, both were dressed in robes and had just enjoyed a bath together among other interesting pleasures. It was no secret around the village that the two were lovers, and even a few were envying their relationship. Of course, their envy came from the fact that Shampoo had a higher status in the village and had nothing to do with any special attributes either woman had. A few of the men did envy them, some preferring Shampoo, and some preferring Ranma even though they knew the truth about her being a girl due to the power of Josenkyo.  
  
It was the lover's usual routine after lovemaking to sit together quietly and enjoy some tea. For Ranma it gave her world a little order and familiarity, it was something she needed desperately these days. They did not expect Cologne to come home stomping through the front door with a look of rage on her face.  
  
"Great grandmother, what happened?" Shampoo asked her in Mandarin.  
  
"Child we have a problem, actually a rather major one." said Cologne.  
  
"Like what sort of major problem?" Ranma asked in the same tongue.  
  
"I just came back from the council of elders." Cologne explained. "They are using Shampoo's repeated failures to win your heart when you were still a man to try and undermine her position as my heir."  
  
"AIYA!" Shampoo cried.  
  
"They what!?" Ranma said looking at the old woman in surprise.  
  
"It gets worse, they say you will retain your position and status as you are now if and only if you take a husband." Cologne told her. Shampoo looked at her in shock then looked at Ranma who had a horrified and sad expression on her face. What will that mean for us?, Ranma wondered silently.  
  
"Fragrance is behind this latest political maneuver." Cologne continued.  
  
"Aiya, she's Mousse's great grandmother." Shampoo said. "She has a lot of status in the village. She was in control of the council while me and great grandmother were in Japan trying to win you over."  
  
"She didn't come out and say it but she was heavily hinting at something, and you can only guess what that was." Cologne said.  
  
"She wants Shampoo to marry Mousse." said Ranma in a sad voice.  
  
"No, I refuse to marry him, the council cannot force this on me." Shampoo shouted. "They know the law, he never defeated me in a challenge of combat even once and has failed to do so time and time again over the years. He has no right to be my husband."  
  
"Its pretty pathetic that he has to get his great grandmother to try and get Shampoo for him." Ranma said folding her arms in anger.  
  
"That may be true Ranma dear, but it is a reality and unless Shampoo accepts his offer of marriage she could loose her status as my heir." Cologne said with a look of sadness on her face.  
  
"Mousse would never allow me and Ranma to stay together." Shampoo said sadly.  
  
"He's only a male, Shampoo." Cologne corrected her.  
  
"Yeah, a male who hates my guts and will try to fight me off whenever he thinks I'm near Shampoo." said Ranma.  
  
"That could happen." Cologne told her.  
  
"That dirty duck!" Ranma said through clenched teeth. "This isn't about winning Shampoo as his wife, its about getting me out of the picture too."  
  
"I won't let him keep us apart." Shampoo said defiantly.  
  
"That could get complicated." Cologne explained. "If the council learns that the two of you are still lovers after Shampoo has married they may rule to keep you separated."  
  
Ranma slammed her fist on the table. "Man this sucks!"  
  
Shampoo put her finger to her lips a for moment as she thought, then she looked at Cologne and said, "I have an idea great grandmother, it may not work, but it is the only option I can think of." It was an idea born from desperation but an idea none the less. Whether it would be successful was another thing entirely.  
  
"What would that be, child?" Cologne asked.  
  
Shampoo bounded over the table and out the front door saying, "I'll tell you later if I'm successful."  
  
Shampoo raced through the village as fast as her legs would carry her, she knew where she was going, she knew all of "his" haunts. It was less then ten minutes when she found him working out with several of the other young men of the village. Mousse stood in the center with three boys surrounding him. They all came at him at once and the nearsighted martial artist leapt over them releasing a volley of chain attacks. Seconds later all three boys were on the ground and Mousse was back in the center as if nothing happened.  
  
"That was good, but never underestimate an opponent just because he wears glasses." Mousse told the boys as they slowly got back to their feet.  
  
"Yes sensei." They al said at once.  
  
"MOUSSE I CHALLENGE YOU!!!"  
  
Everyone looked up in surprise which immediately turned into adoration when they saw who it was who was coming towards them. Shampoo's foot connected with Mousse's chin, but the boy rolled with the flying kick diminishing much of its power and was back on his feet before Shampoo could ready her next move. He did not have long to wait when Shampoo came at him again with a series of kicks and punches that he managed to dodge. Mousse retaliated with a few rapid moves of his own and in a blur of movement Shampoo was wrapped from head to toe in chains.  
  
"AIYA!" she cried out in surprise.  
  
"I've been training all those years you were gone with Cologne and Saotome." he told her. "I'm almost ten times better than I was the last time we fought like this."  
  
"Mousse, you finally defeated me." Shampoo said, carefully picking her words. Mousse did not know it, but Shampoo actually let him win this time but made it look like he had done it on his own.  
  
"Now you have to marry me!" Mousse cheered. "Saotome can't marry you anymore so the law says you have to marry me." He walked over to her and quickly retrieved his chains.  
  
"Mousse, I'll marry you." said Shampoo.  
  
"Oh, Shampoo, I'll make you so happy, you'll see!" Mousse cried and gave the girl a world class glomp. It was short lived when Shampoo gave him a face full of shoe and knocked him to the ground.  
  
"I'll marry you on one condition and one condition only Mousse." She said angrily. "You must agree to take Ranma as your second."  
  
"WHAT!!!" Mousse screamed.  
  
"The deal is simple, if you want me as your wife, you must also accept Ranma as your second wife or I will never marry you even if the council orders me to." Shampoo explained to him angrily.  
  
With that said Shampoo departed the scene leaving a dazed and bewildered Mousse sitting on the ground where she knocked him down. A few days passed and there was no sign of Mousse to be seen anywhere. Cologne received a summons by the council of elders at her home. As she left she gave Shampoo a questioning look, Ranma looked a bit green for some reason and looked at Shampoo with a slightly pleading expression. Cologne was completely unaware of the conversation Shampoo and Ranma had a few nights before after Shampoo went to see Mousse.  
  
The two laid together in Shampoo's bed holding each other close. Ranma never loved anyone like this before, and she loved Shampoo very much. A tiny fragment of a memory of a young short haired girl in a high school uniform popped into her mind and vanished. That life seems like a million light years away., she told herself.  
  
"So, are ya gonna go through with it?" Ranma asked. She hugged Shampoo to her, enjoying the softness of her skin pressed against her body.  
  
"Ranma, I went to talk to Mousse today." said Shampoo. "I made him a offer, I told him I'd marry him, but only on one condition."  
  
"What's that?" asked Ranma.  
  
"I'm not sure you'll want to hear it." Shampoo told her. "I came up with this idea out of desperation but now that I think about it it might not work."  
  
"Tell me, what did you say to him?" Ranma asked her.  
  
"I said I'd marry him only if he took you as his second." Shampoo said and braced herself for the expected explosion.  
  
"Second what?" Ranma said scratching her head in confusion.  
  
Shampoo sighed, Ranma was still a little vague about a lot of the customs and culture of the Amazons. She spelled it out for her, "Second wife."  
  
The explosion could have leveled the village and several hundred miles of forest. "NANI!!!!!" Ranma cried in Nihongo. It was the first time she said anything in her native tongue in years. Both women quickly sat up in bed.  
  
"It was the only thing I could think of that would keep us from being separated." Shampoo explained trying to calm the red head.  
  
"But me marry Mousse, that would be like me marrying Kuno!" Ranma cried and shivered in disgust.  
  
"Please try to understand, if I have to marry him we may not be able to see one another again." Shampoo said. "I love you, I don't want to be separated from you."  
  
"Me neither, but marriage to Mousse." Ranma said more calmly, but still shivered at bit.  
  
"Now Ranma, remember we're women of the Joketsuzoku, we would have the say in the marriage not Mousse." Shampoo explained. "If he marries both of us the council can't stop us from being together, but if only I do they could rule that we stop seeing each other."  
  
Ranma hugged her tightly and shuddered at the feeling of Shampoo's breasts pressing against her own. "I don't want that to happen." she said. "If its the only way we can stay together then I'll live with it. But, I ain't having his kid. No way am I letting him knock me up."  
  
"Don't worry, that's the job of first wife to have children." Shampoo chuckled. "You never know what might happen Ranma, we might learn to like being married to Mousse."  
  
"Not freakin likely." Ranma muttered.  
  
When Cologne returned from the meeting with the council a few days after Shampoo's meeting with Mousse, she looked at Ranma and Shampoo with an expression of love and pride. Only my great grand daughter could have trapped Mousse in that sort of situation, oh she's going to make an excellent Matriarch., she said to herself.  
  
"I just returned from a private meeting with Elder Fragrance." Cologne told them. "Mousse accepts your offer."  
  
The marriage took place in the village square at the center of town a few days later. The entire village turned out to see Mousse marry Shampoo and Ranma both. The girls were both dressed in white robes and stood on either side of the man that would become their husband. When the priestess was done speaking from the holy scrolls of marriage and asking for the blessings of the Joketsuzoku Kami, Mousse first turned to Shampoo and placed a ring on her finger then did the same for Ranma. Anticipation was in the air as Mousse turned to face the priestess. She closed up the scroll and declared the marriage final. Mousse and Shampoo, for the first time ever, shared a kiss in front of the entire village. Ranma was reluctant to do this, but it was a part of ceremony. When it was her time to kiss him, the man who hated her, who had been her enemy for many years she almost did not do it. Mousse was just as reluctant to kiss the lips of Saotome, but if he wanted to have Shampoo he had to take her too. Shampoo held her breath as Ranma and Mousse came together and their lips met. Ranma decided that if she was going to do this she was going to put everything into it. Remembering everything Shampoo taught her about kissing she put all she had into the kiss. When the two finally parted Mousse had a slightly stunned look on his face.  
  
-----  
  
Akane laughed, "Wow, you guys really did have him trapped, either he accepted the offer or he never gets to marry Shampoo."  
  
"It was cruel of us now that I look back on it, but ever since then it was all that bad." Ranma said. "In the beginning Mousse and I hardly ever said anything to each other, and we could barely sit in the same room together without arguing."  
  
"Reminds me of us." Akane said with sad memories drifting through her mind of days long past.  
  
"Well, I was the playing the part of Akane this time." Ranma laughed a bit halfheartedly.  
  
"Hey, the mallet trick is my technique." Akane said to her teasingly.  
  
"But, I'd never trade these past few years for anything in the world." Ranma told her. "Mousse is a wonderful man, he treats us great, we really get along well, and the sex is awesome."  
  
"It all comes back to sex with you doesn't it." Akane said with a crocked smile.  
  
Ranma looked at her with the most seductive expression on her face that she could muster and said, "Wanna find out why?" It was a look guaranteed to make a man stand at attention in a second, and that did not mean he was standing on his feet.  
  
Akane's eye went wide and she inched away a little with a horrified expression on her face. "Ranma no, I mean, we can't!" she cried.  
  
"Gotcha!" Ranma smiled and poked the girl's nose lightly with one finger.  
  
"Why you-" Akane snarled for second then she burst out laughing and Ranma join her. The two embraced one another for just laughed, soon the laugher turned to tears.  
  
"I'm so glad you're life is going so well." said Akane finally.  
  
"I'm glad yours is too." said Ranma. "Lets go downstairs, I'm getting really hungry."  
  
"Now that's the Ranma I know." Akane laughed.  
  
-----  
  
Thousands of miles away far across the Pacific Ocean in the mountains of Peru sat a strange group of large buildings. It was a testament to humankind's continued pursuit of knowledge about the universe. It was the VLA, or Very Large Array, an array of telescopes all connected together into an interferometer. That meant that the light from all five of the telescopes of the VLA would be focused on one spot and thus would function as one massive telescope. It had been built in cooperation between Germany and France and the European Space Agency with a little assistance also from NASA in the United States. The facility had been in full working operation for only a few years after its construction was complete.  
  
In the main control room a young Dr. Vernor Von Hildenburg from the University of Berlin sat at a keyboard and began to look over images he had taken during the night. They were long exposure shots, all digital, so they did not have to deal with developing film or photographic plates as in the old days of astronomy. The computer switched between the two images rapidly as he checked for any subtle changes between the two. It was his hope that anything he found different would mean he found a planet out there in the vastness of space. What he did see surprised him. There was something there, but it appeared to be much closer in the celestial community around Earth's sun, Sol.  
  
"Dr. Milner, could you look at this?" he asked the woman sitting at a console across the room. Dr. Hildenburg was an older man in his sixties, but he never let age get in the way of his life's passion to explore the stars.  
  
"Did you find anything?" she asked. Dr. Elaina Milner was younger, about thirty, and was very attractive to look at.  
  
"I found something in the exposures we did last night, but I think we may have picked up something much closer to our solar system." he told her.  
  
Dr. Milner looked at the screen and said, "It could be Pluto."  
  
Dr. Hildenburg checked a small black book he had in his pocket and shook his head. "No, its the wrong region of the sky for that." he said. "This object is much closer than that."  
  
"An unchartered asteroid." Elaina suggested.  
  
"Its likely, I think I'll call some colleagues of mine in America and see if they can track this object for us." the older man swiveled his chair around and picked up the phone.  
  
-----  
  
When Ranma and Akane came back down to the guest house Shampoo, Ukyo, and Kasumi were in the kitchen cooking up a storm with Kogame directing them. The smell coming out of the kitchen was like ambrosia for the red head. It had also attracted the attention of a certain bald headed martial artist wearing sports glasses and a certain diminutive pervert. Ranma took one look at her father and stopped in her tracks. Genma looked up at his son turned daughter, and she could see his eyes take in her huge stomach. Slowly, Ranma walked across the room to him and sat down.  
  
"Hello father." she said calmly.  
  
"Hello bo-daughter." Genma said, catching himself.  
  
"How has mother been?" she asked him.  
  
"She misses you a lot, she doesn't know we're here though." he told her.  
  
"Oh." she said. For a long moment daughter and father looked at one another without saying anything else. Ranma could only guess at what her father was thinking. Know how his mind worked, and she was certain she knew that well enough she was certain he thinking negatively of her somehow. Despite all the times her father engaged her so many times, the one he fought so hard in support of was the engagement to Akane. Never had he ever fought for anything so hard in his entire life. Now, that possibility was out of his grasp, she couldn't marry Akane, and Akane and Ryoga were going to announce their engagement any day now.  
  
So, Ranma decided to be the one to asked the question. "Why did you run out like that father?"  
  
Genma looked at her with a look of surprise and shame on his face. He was still smarting from the berating he got from Cologne, and Happosai of all people. He should have expected it from Cologne, but from Happosai. That was a shock, for Happosai, a man with no morals at all to stand up for Ranma like that.  
  
"I was afraid." he said so quietly it was almost a whisper.  
  
Ranma grew a little annoyed at this, "Afraid of what old man, afraid that mom was gonna make us commit sepoku."  
  
The room fell quiet. Akane had been expecting a confrontation between Ranma and her father, so she quietly made her way into the kitchen where the others were making dinner. "Can I help with anything?" she asked.  
  
"AIYA!" Shampoo cried out in sudden dismay. She remembered how lethal Akane's cooking could be.  
  
"Actually you can dear." Kogame told her, then turned to Shampoo. "I see my step-daughter's cooking is still legendary, but with a little practice even the worst cook in the world can get better."  
  
"Akane's cooking has gotten a lot better." Kasumi admitted. "At least nobody got sick few times she made us all breakfast, and she stopped using the wrong ingredients which was a big help."  
  
"Ok sis, I know my cook was bad, alright." Akane said gloomily.  
  
"How do mini shrimp okonomiyaki sound for appetizers?" Ukyo asked from across where she assembled her portable grill.  
  
"That sounds lovely dear." Kogame smiled.  
  
"YOU WHAT!" came the shout from the other room. Akane went to the doorway and saw a very angry Ranma standing over her very frightened father.  
  
"And here I thought you were actually trying to say you cared about me, but now I see you're still just thinking about your own worthless self!" she yelled at him.  
  
"It was just a suggestion, me and Tendo were just taking while you and Akane were upstairs and well..." Genma was trying to talk himself out of something, but Akane was not sure what.  
  
"Ranma you must understand, we're desperate men." Tendo Soun said, and immediately wished she hadn't.  
  
"So you two lamebrains come up with an idea like THAT?" Ranma bellowed at him. "How could you even think of doing something like that!?"  
  
"I'd have to say it was pretty desperate." Nabiki said with disgust. "Even for one of daddy's stupid ideas."  
  
Ranma pointed her fingers at the two men and said, "If either of you go anywhere near Josenkyo I'll have Cologne lock you two away for the rest of the time your all here, is that clear?" Both men nodded in agreement.  
  
"What's going on?" Akane asked. "What did they say?"  
  
"Oh, Akane." Ranma turned around upon hearing her voice. "Uh, nothing, really, we were just having a small disagreement."  
  
"Sounded like our parents suggested something really dumb." Akane said and gave her father an angry look.  
  
"More like super dumb-ass stupid." said Nabiki.  
  
"Ranma, what did they say?" Akane demanded.  
  
"Uh, well, you see, I don't wanna upset you or anything." Ranma said as she twiddled her thumbs. Akane walked over to her and put her arm on the red head's shoulder.  
  
"I won't get mad at you Ranma." she said.  
  
"They wanted to go to Josenkyo, get some of the water from the Spring of Drown Man, and dowse you with it so we can get married in Japan." Ranma said very quickly and in a low voice.  
  
"THEY WHAT!?" she screamed and turned towards the two men. For the first time in more than ten years Saotome Genma finally learned what it was like to be on the receiving end of Akane's Mallet of Doom. She walked away with a satisfied smile on her face leaving behind two badly battered older men unconscious on the floor.  
  
Kogame looked into the room and just sighed, "Now that they had coming."  
  
-----  
  
Dr. Berry Johnson of the Keck Observatory sat at the computer console controlling the huge mirror of the telescope and input the coordinates that had been faxed to him from his friend in Peru at the VLA. The coordinates were low in the sky, the furthest down towards the southern hemisphere that observatories in the northern hemisphere could see. The images he would have to take would take a few hours, a few time lapsed expsures to find the object moving across the sky that his friend found. Fortunately Dr. Johnson's specialty was tracking asteroids and NEOs (Near Earth Objects). There seemed nothing out of the ordinary with Dr. Hildenburg's observations. A few hours late Dr. Johnson would be thinking very differently.  
  
-----  
  
Ranma looked at her father and Tendo Soun and humped at them as she turned around and headed for the kitchen to see what she could do to help. Akane looked back at her with a smile, which quickly turned a look of alarm as she saw Ranma suddenly lurch forward and grab her stomach.  
  
"Ranma?" she asked her with concern in her voice.  
  
"Oh, I-I-I think I just had a contraction." said Ranma.  
  
Dr. Tofu got up from his seat and went over to her quickly. He put his hand on her stomach and another pain suddenly went through her. "Its a contraction alright." he nodded.  
  
"You mean she's..." Akane looked at him.  
  
"Going into labor, yes." he nodded.  
  
It was at that moment the three of them heard a squishing sound below them. Dr. Tofu and Akane looked down and saw something like mucus dripping down from between Ranma's legs.  
  
"Definitely labor, her water just broke." the doctor said. "Ladies I think dinner can wait, we need your assistance in her now." They all heard a thud and turned around to find an unconscious Ryoga on the floor.  
  
"What is it dear?" Kasumi asked as she came out of the kitchen. Taking one look at Ranma standing there in pain with an all too noticable wet mark on the floor beneath her was all she needed to know. "Oh my, I'll start boiling some water."  
  
"Ranchan's going to have her baby, now?" Ukyo asked in surprise.  
  
"I don't think its gonna wait until after dinner Ucchan." Ranma said while gritting her teeth as another contraction hit her.  
  
"Shampoo, go get Cologne, Ono I think we can put her on one of the couches in the other room." Kogame said and help lead the way into the next room. They carefully laid Ranma down on her back on one of the couches. Akane and Mousse came into the room with towels, Akane put three underneath Ranma's legs, and Mousse used his to dampen the sweat on Ranma's face.  
  
"You're going to ok, just breath like the healer told you." Mousse said nervously.  
  
"You can relax, I've been in-arrggghh-worse pain." she said.  
  
"That's what they all say before the head pops out." said Nabiki. "I doubt the Amazon's have anything like an epadermal."  
  
"I didn't bring anything with me, I wasn't expecting to do a delivery." Dr. Tofu said.  
  
"Its ok-AAARRRGGGHH-Doc, I can han-AAAARRRRGGGHHHH-dle it." Ranma said through clenched teeth.  
  
"Oh my, she's dilating rather quickly." said Kasumi as she reached in and felt Ranma's cervics.  
  
"Kasumi's a registered nurse now, she helps out in the clinic." Ono said to Ranma.  
  
Cologne and Shampoo came running into the room. Actually Cologne was pogo sticking. "I am very glad you are here doctor, our healer is out of the village on an emergency right now." Cologne said.  
  
"This isn't my first delivery." Ono said. "I delivered these two among others." He gestured towards Akane and Nabiki, both girls blushed furiously.  
  
"No doubt she's already begun to rapidly dilate." said Cologne.  
  
"Why yes, she has." said Kasumi sweetly.  
  
"That ancient Chinese Amazon training regiment we put Ranma on is helping, every pregnant Amazon goes through it." Cologne said. "Shampoo went through it, so did I. The head should start to appear any second now."  
  
"AAARRRGGHHH!!!!!" Ranma cried as she suddeenly had a overwhelming urge to push.  
  
"Oh boy, here we go folks." Dr. Tofu said as he quickly washed his hands in a basin of hot water Kasumi brought in. "Ok Ranma, the head is starting to come, when you feel the urge start pushing but not too hard."  
  
"It hurts." Ranma whimpered after a contraction subsided.  
  
"You can do it." Mousse urged her on.  
  
"AAAAAAAIIIIIYYYYYAAAAAAA!!!!!" Ranma screamed as she pushed again, and the girls all screamed with excitement.  
  
"Oh my Kami-sama, I see it, I see the head!" Akane cried.  
  
"Wow, I didn't know the virgina could stretch that far, I hope she can still perform after going through this." The next scream came from a diminutive pervert being sent on a one way ticket out of the village courtesy Air Akane.  
  
"Honestly!" Akane sighed in frustration and turned back to Ranma.  
  
"The head is almost here, give me one more push." Ono said.  
  
"You can do it Ranchan." Ukyo cheered.  
  
"Aiya." said Shampoo as she helped Ranma bare down as she pushed.  
  
"AAAARRRGGGHHH!!!!!!" Ranma cried as she pushed.  
  
"Is t-t-t-t-t-that-oooohhh!" Genma said as he entered the room and promptly fainted as he saw a small head sticking out from between Ranma's legs.  
  
"Oh daddy." Nabiki sighed. "The did the same thing when Kai was born."  
  
"Ok, where half way there, give me another good push." Ono urged Ranma on. The red head bared down with Shampoo and Mousse both helping her and she pushed with all her might. With a squishing sound the rest of the baby came out quickly and promptly began screaming at the top of its lungs.  
  
"She has good lungs." Ono said as laid the newborn into Kasumi's arms.  
  
"Mousse, would you like to cut the cord?" Ono asked. Mousse slowly made her way over to the baby and Dr, Tofu put a knife in his hand.  
  
"She's a girl." Mousse said with delerious glee.  
  
"We noticed." Dr. Tofu laughed and held up the cord where it should be cut. "Right here is good." Taking great care Mousse quickly cut the cord with little effort and the doctor tied off the cord with some spring after doucing it in alcohol.  
  
Kasumi walked over to Ranma with the baby. The girls all go for a look at the little girl as she made her way to her. Ranma reached out and took the baby in her arms. He was so small, so frail. The tiny little girl seemed to look at her for a moment before closing her eyes and quickly fell asleep.  
  
"Oh, the little darling is tired." said Ranma quietly.  
  
"Ok, round two should be starting soon." Dr. Tofu said as Shampoo took the baby from Ranma gently.  
  
"She has Fragramce's birthmark." said Mousse as he and Shampoo looked over the baby girl.  
  
"We tell her that, make her really mad." Shampoo laughed and Mousse nodded.  
  
"OOHH!! I think its starting doc." Ranma groaned.  
  
"Here comes number two." Dr. Tofu said. Shampoo quickly gave the baby to Kasumi and she and Mousse went to help Ranma bare down. The red head was sweating buckets and Mousse had to repeatedly dry her face. She groaned as another contraction urged her to push. Still sore and aching from the first baby Ranma screamed in pain and dug her nails into Mousse's leg. The once-nearsighed martial artist barely flinched from the pain.  
  
"AAARRGGGHHH!!!! Damn it hurts!!!" Ranma screamed.  
  
"That can't be helped, child." Cologne said reassuringly. "The head is almost visible, keep pushing."  
  
"Give me one good push then you can rest a second." Dr. Tofu said and with an agonized groan Ranma pushed with Mousse and Shampoo helping her bare down. The head of the baby suddenly popped out. Ranma breathed a sighed of relief and Mousse dabbed at her face with the towel. Kasumi quickly worked on the baby, just as she had the first one, and cleared out the embriotic fluid from its eyes and nose.  
  
"Alright Ranma, give me one last strong push and you're done." Dr. Tofu said. Ranma groaned as Mousse and Shampoo lifted her up and she pushed hard.  
  
AAAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!" she screamed and the rest of the baby came out. Ranma immediately collapsed nearly unconscious.  
  
"Another beautiful little girl, identicle twins I think." Dr. Tofu said as he cut the cord and tied it off.  
  
"DEAR, I-" Kasumi said and pointed at the region between Ranma's legs.  
  
"Oh my Kami-sama!!!" the doctor shouted. "Ranma get us, I need you to push!"  
  
"What is it?" Mousse asked.  
  
"There's another baby!" Ono shouted. "Ranma, PUSH!!!"  
  
"Oh no, I can't, its hurts too much." Ranma said wearily.  
  
"You have to!" Ono yelled at her. Mousse and Shampoo lifted her up again, Akane look her hand, and Ranma forced her tired and aching body to push. She did not know when the darkness took her, or now much time had gone by. When Ranma opened her eyes again she was in her bed in her own private room. She had been bathed and dressed in one of her more comfortable nightgowns she bought in Peking while on a shopping trip with Shampoo and Cologne. Ranma slowly climbed to her feet and found they felt like jello. Slowly she made her way across the room and out and down the catwalks. Akane ran to her when she came through the door and nearly fell over.  
  
"What are you doing up?" Akane demanded. "You should be in bed Ranma."  
  
"I wanna see my babies." she said. Akane's expression softened and she lead Ranma into the nursery. Ranma began to quietly cry when she laid her eyes upon the three tiny swattled bundles sleeping together in the crib.  
  
"Those are mine." she said with tears steaming down her face. "My little babies."  
  
"Yes, they are. You had triplets, I guess Amazon medicine isn't all that after all." Akane said teasingly.  
  
"Don't let Cologne hear you say that." Ranma smirked at her.  
  
"I'm so proud of you Ranma, you really did it." Akane said, tears in her eyes. "You're a mommy, a real mommy."  
  
"Yeah, I am ain't I." said Ranma. Slowly, quietly, the two women left the room and headed to the kitchen where the smell of something wonderful being cooked up was eminating.  
  
-----  
  
"Uh, this is Dr. Johnson from the Keck Observatory, I've just observed what I think is a rogue asteroid, but I need confirmation." Dr. Johnson said into his cell phone. "Yes, I'll hold.  
  
A moment later. "Yes, this is Dr. Johnson, I just faxed over a coordinates chart to you about ten minutes ago." he said. "I think its a rogue asteroid, I got a call about it from the VLA a few hours ago and I just got down doing some observations. According to calculations I have its a lot closer to us than they thought. Yes, I calculate its somewhere near the orbit of Jupiter, and it will pass by there in a few days."  
  
The person on the other end spoke and Berry nodded, "Yes, thank you, you can fax the observations over to me or send me an email. Dr. Bermen has my address in his computer there. Alright, thank you."  
  
==========  
  
TO BE CONTINUED....  
  
Moko Takabisha Bakusai Tenketsu Nyanchiczu Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken Umisenken Yamasenken Joketsuzoku Hiryu Shoten Ha 


	4. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: "Ranma 1/2" is the registered trademark and copyright of Viz Communications, Kitty Productions, and Rumiko Takahashi. All rights reserved. All other Anime and non-Anime characters who appear in this fic are the registered trademark and copyright of their respective owners. All rights reserved.  
  
==========  
  
Special Note: Some interesting ideas came to mind with this fic. I hope you like the direction it is going to be headed.  
  
==========  
  
R A N M A F O R E V E R  
  
by Michael "TheZorch" Haney  
  
==========  
  
Chapter 3  
  
"They're so beautiful."  
  
Akane and Ranma leaned against one another, their arms around each other's waists as they looked down into the crib where the three tiny forms slept. Akane leaned her shoulder on the shorter girl and sighed happily. She felt happy, happier than she had ever thought she could feel in a long time. She could not remember being this happy before. Wait, that was wrong, she had been this happy before. It was the day her father married Kogame. That day was wonderful, the woman had won over the hearts of the three Tendo sisters very quickly. She was a very likable person, very sweet like Kasumi, but like Nabiki she did not take any guff from anyone and had the skill to back herself up. Happosai found that out to his constant annoyance. Ranma had been the only "girl" who had been able to defeat him in a real fight, and Kogame had made it look easy. Akane focused her thoughts back to the present.  
  
She looked at the three tiny swaddled newborns and wondered how she would feel when it was finally her time to have children. She knew she and Ryoga were still no where near ready for anything like that. Now, getting married that was another question, she was sure she was ready but was Ryoga. They had certainly gone farther in their relationship than she had ever gone with Ranma. Akane could still remember the first day she and Ranma kissed, it had been three weeks before he left for Josenkyo and disappeared for more than ten years.  
  
"They get it from their mom." said Ranma and she eeped when Akane playfully elbowed her in the ribs.  
  
"Still as arrogant as ever." Akane smirked sheepishly.  
  
Ranma replied in Shampoo's trademark broken Japanese, "Ranma is powerful Amazon womans." Akane giggled and hugged the shorter girl tighter.  
  
"I guess in a way Cologne got what she wanted after all." said Akane.  
  
"I don't know, in a way she did, and a little more."  
  
"Dad came out of his stupor last night, he's still really upset about the schools never being joined. I never knew it meant so much to him that it would effect him like this." said Akane.  
  
"Well, that plan he tried to work out yesterday was a really bad idea. Even after I explained how dangerous Josenkyo is they still wanted to use its waters to get what they wanted." Ranma replied.  
  
Akane giggled a bit, "Well, me and Mom made it very clear to daddy and your father last night not to even think about trying anything like that."  
  
Three pairs of eyes opened up and looked up at the two blurry figures hovering above them. "Looks like somebody is ready for breakfast." said Ranma as she reach down for one of the tiny infants. She went over to a small rocking chair next to the crib and opened up her blouse.  
  
"Dr. Tofu could arrange for you to get breast pumps so you don't have to nurse all three of them." suggested Akane.  
  
Ranma shook her head, "No, Granny told me it was better to do it this way. She said something about mother-child bonding or something like that."  
  
"I don't know if I could ever nurse a baby." Akane admitted with an embarrassed blush.  
  
"Well, I had a little practice with Mousse before these three came along." Ranma replied with a crooked smile. Akane turned bright red from the shoulders up prompting Ranma to giggle.  
  
"Well, uh-umm-me and Ryoga, we-uh-"  
  
"Geeze, just come out and say it, we're both girls here." Ranma winked at her.  
  
"One girl who was born that way, and one other who was that way for only about ten years full time." said Akane.  
  
"True, so he did play with your-"  
  
"It was-nice. Especially when he took them completely into his mouth and used his tongue." Akane blushed furiously and could hardly believe she was actually saying what she was saying.  
  
"Oh the tongue is the best."  
  
"Oh Kami-sama, I can't believe we're actually talking about this." Akane sat down next to the nursing redhead. Her face was almost the same color.  
  
Ranma shrugged just enough to be noticeable but not enough to interrupt the little one's hungry nursing. Akane had been nervous the other day about talking girl stuff, especially about sex. She was opening up more to it though. All she needed was a little push and she would finally escape her aversion to anything regarding sex. Ranma had always been irked concerning Akane's rather skewed notion of what was and was not perverted.  
  
"Its ok, it ain't perverted to talk about that stuff. If you're talking about someone you love enough to roll in the hay with then it ain't perverted." said Ranma.  
  
Akane shook her head smiling, "I'm just so new to this. What me and Ryoga did was just on impulse, but it felt so right too."  
  
"I supposed last night was on impulse too." Ranma smirked and Akane eeped. "I think maybe the whole valley heard you scream."  
  
Akane looked at the floor, "We were on the roof of the guest house, I hoped being up in the tree like that would muffle the sound."  
  
Ranma shook her head, "Akane, Akane, Akane. Me and Mousse already tried that, sound carries a long way in this valley." She looked down and notice her little bundle had drifted back to sleep. Careful not to wake the little one she quickly got up and picked up the next one. It did not take long before the second newborn began suckling hungrily.  
  
"Well, they certainly are 'your' kids." Akane remarked.  
  
"Big apatites run in the family." smiled Ranma.  
  
Movement at the doorway caught their attention and the two women looked up to see Kasumi's brightly smiling face. Ranma gasped slightly, she was still getting used to how much everyone has changed in ten years. Kasumi was gorgeous, well she was always gorgeous but now her beauty was far more refined.  
  
"Akane, Ranma, mother and I have started breakfast." she told them.  
  
"You don't have to do that, Shampoo and Mousse can handle it you're guests here." Ranma said in light protest.  
  
Kasumi just smiled, "Well, they were still in bed when mother and I woke so we decided to surprise everyone. Besides, mother's eggplant miso soup is just divine."  
  
"You know its been a while since I had a good bowl of miso soup." remarked Ranma, and right on cue her stomach let out a loud grumble. Akane and Kasumi couldn't help but chuckle, but only lightly so as not to wake the children.  
  
=====  
  
"This miso 'is' good."  
  
Ranma slurped her soup noisily prompting a very happy smile on Kogame's face. The older woman truly enjoyed cooking for her family, but she did love the fact that Kasumi was in her own right a master of the kitchen. She was introduced to so many new and wonderful recipes by her stepdaughter, and she also taught Kasumi a few new things too. The eggplant miso soup they were having with rice that morning was one of her specialties.  
  
"I was thinking of making Kuri Gohan for dinner with Shabu Shabu, and some Yakitori as an appetizer." said Kogame.  
  
"That sounds absolutely wonderful." Ranma said wistfully as she imagined the incredible flavors they would experience.  
  
"I brought a bottle of Shochu with us, and it wasn't cheap." said Nabiki.  
  
"So says the rich girl." Ranma smirked.  
  
"Ok, for someone not stinking rich it would be expensive." replied Nabiki with a smirk of her own directed back at Ranma.  
  
"Shochu, that isn't bad, sugar. I tend to like Awamori." said Ukyo.  
  
"I don't really care for distilled sake, I like it when its brewed better." Kogame commented.  
  
"Well, this is one of the better brands mom, and its brewed."  
  
Ranma looks around the table and notices something isn't quite right. "Say, where is Pops?" Akane notices for the first time that a certain panda was not around. It was such a usual occurrence since he did not live at the Tendo home anymore that she did not notice he was not there.  
  
"He slept in. He and that old hentai stayed up all night drinking. How Nodoka put up with those two for so long I can't understand." Kogame said with a disapproving frown.  
  
"That's Pops alright," Ranma sighed. "At least the old freak isn't out trying to steal underwear from the village."  
  
Akane promptly shushed her. "If he's listening in don't give him ideas." Laughter drifted around the table at that.  
  
"Aiya, what all this?" came a new voice as the door opened admitting Shampoo. She took a long sniff at the air and her face took on a dreamy expression.  
  
"What smell so-so heavenly?"  
  
Ranma gestured for the lovely Amazon to sit down next to her. Shampoo bounced over, her attributes doing just that, and took her seat. She promptly leaned over and gave Ranma a gentle kiss on the cheek. "Wo ei ni".  
  
"Good morning to you too." Ranma purred with a smile.  
  
"Ok you two, get a room." Nabiki butted in with a smirk.  
  
The two Amazons looked at her with a pair of lurid, predatory grins. "You jealous, Nabiki. There is always room for one more." said Ranma. The former Ice Queen of Furinken High blushed from her shoulders up.  
  
"Mousse no mind if Shampoo play a bit."  
  
Nabiki's shade of red turned even redder. "Uh, that's ok. I prefer getting it the old fashioned way."  
  
"Oh don't worry, where not going to start doing it here on the table." Ranma laughed at her.  
  
"Amazing. You certainly have gotten over your shyness with intimacy." said Dr. Tofu.  
  
"I can't believe how prudish I was back then. If I had been more open I think a lot of stuff would have happened differently, but you can't change the past." Ranma replied with a shrug. She then gave a certain Lost Boy a coy look and said, "And I see I'm not the only one to get over their shyness." Ryoga promptly blushed as red as her hair.  
  
"Shampoo not have great sister wife and she not find how good man Mousse really be if this not happen." the blue haired Amazon added hugging Ranma tightly.  
  
"Speaking of our husband, where is he?" Ranma asked her in Chinese.  
  
"I don't know, he wasn't in bed when I woke up this morning." Shampoo replied speaking in Chinese also.  
  
"I saw Mousse this morning through the window in the kitchen," Kasumi spoke up. "He headed out towards the center of the village."  
  
Ranma pondered this for a moment. "Did you see anyone else with him?"  
  
Kasumi thought for a moment before answering. "I think I saw a young man with spiked blond hair with him."  
  
"Ah, that's Cloud, he's Sapphire and Comb's son. He and Mousse patrol the lands where we graze our goats." replied Ranma.  
  
"Does he normally leave this early in the morning?" Akane asked.  
  
Ranma sighed. "For some odd reason the number of wolves coming down from the highlands has increased a lot. We sent a few warrior into the wilderness a few days ago to check out their regular territory but it will be a few days before they return to report on what they found."  
  
"Logging could be pushing them out. There are a lot of trees up there in the highlands." said Nabiki.  
  
"No, People's Logging Company no come into lands near Josenkyo. These ancient magical forests." Shampoo explained to her.  
  
"The one thing I learned about this place around here," Ranma added and made a gesture towards the dinning room window which gave them a few of the forest. "Is that the forest can protect itself. If you ever wanted to find a real enchanted forest, well this is it, we're surrounded by one."  
  
"Oh my." Kasumi gasped in wonder.  
  
"Protects itself, how?" Nabiki asked with a skeptical expression.  
  
Ranma looked her straights in the eyes and replied, "You don't ever want to know the answer to that. Believe me." She had witness first hand how the forest protected itself the last time someone tried to log the forest. It had not been a pretty sight.  
  
"This place very magical, that why Josenkyo here, and Necronron, Phoenix Mountain, and Musk." said Shampoo.  
  
"But you cut wood in the forest. How do you do it without the forest getting mad at you or something?" Ryoga asked from his position next to Akane.  
  
"Amazons respect the forest, it knows this and let us take wood. Logging company no care, they care only for money, have no respect for forest." said Shampoo.  
  
"So you're saying that the wolves coming out of the highlands could mean there is an imbalance in nature somewhere." Dr. Tofu surmised. Shampoo started on her steaming hot bowl of miso handed to her by Kasumi. Kogame smiled when she saw the wondrous expression on the young woman's face when she brought the bowl down.  
  
"Aiya! This really good."  
  
"Its possible. The problem has the council of elders worried." Ranma told her.  
  
"I wonder what it could be then." Akane wondered.  
  
=====  
  
It was very late at night at the Keck Observatory but Dr. Berry Johnson found it impossible to sleep. He kept thinking about what he had observed. It was not really that unusual to find a rogue out there. It happened from time to time and astronomers tracked them to make sure they were not a danger to the Earth. Threats from space were taken much more seriously by those who observed the universe on a daily basis. They knew what was out there and knew that anything could happen. What they all fear the most was that a comet would could at them from near the sun and thus approach within the Earth's blind spot so speak.  
  
He held a fax in his hands that had been sent to him concerning the trajectory and course of the rogue. It would indeed intercept Jupiter, but it would happen much sooner than he had anticipated. I fact, it would intercept Jupiter sometime tomorrow evening. So now he was here at the observatory taking new exposures of the rogue. The computer terminal beeped letting him know the images were ready. They appeared on the screen in a window.  
  
Dr. Johnson immediately called up a program that took the image, and data from the telescope's current settings to calculate a possible size of the object. It was not by any means an exact approximation of the size, and the program was just experimental at best. The numbers that appeared made his eyebrow do a Spock Maneuver.  
  
"You are mighty big my little friend." he said while looking at the image. The display on the size calculation program showed the size to be somewhere close to two hundred kilometers wide. Berry printed all of this out and went over to his scanner. He scanned in the paper, opened up an email window, added the scanned image as an attachment, and addressed it to Dr. Hildenburg at the VLA. It took only a few seconds for the message to be transferred to the server via the T3 high speed connection. He decided it was time to turn in now, it was getting late. Little did he know what would happen the next day when the object passed Jupiter.  
  
=====  
  
All of that day Shampoo escorted the family around the village showing them the sights. Ranma had to stay with the babies. They had never been here to Nyanchiczu and were surprised at what they did have as compared to what she assumed they did not have. The village had no electrical power or plumbing, but they did have a complex system for irrigation and for bringing fresh water to the village from the river. They had a semi-modern sewage system that drained raw sewage from every home to a deep underground bottomless pit. There were plans in the works to modernize the village while keeping it well hidden as they doing so. Shampoo showed them the aquifer that was being built to give each home running water and plumbing, and she explained the plans to use hydrothermal power to bring electricity to the village. When they finally returned to the heart of the village after a long walk to see the beautiful sights around the mountains they all noticed a huge gathering around the large council hall building in the center of town.  
  
"Was there a meeting of the elders today, Shampoo?" Kasumi asked their host.  
  
"No, this emergency meeting." Shampoo said nervously and she and her group walked up behind the gathered throngs of Amazon women and men alike to hear what was being said. When the elders began to speak Dr. Tofu translated for them in a whisper.  
  
"You were not expected to return for several days, explain why you are back so soon. Why have you violated the express orders of this-" she could hear Fragrance demand with an angry edge to her voice. She did not get to finish what she was saying when another voice spoke up interrupting her.  
  
"Elder, they would not have returned so soon if it were not for some very important reason. I for one would like to hear what that is instead of you ramble on about protocol." Cologne's voice rang out in a defiant tone.  
  
"Yes, matriarch. Upon reaching the highlands we immediately discovered that it was devoid of any signs of life. The forest was as silent as death." this caused worried murmurs throughout the council and the gathered audience.  
  
"What in the name of the gods would do this? Did you see any signs of what caused this to happen?" Cologne asked her.  
  
Blossom shook her head. "None, but we could feel an oppressive fear emanating from the forest itself. The forest is afraid of something, but what that is we do not know nor did we see any signs of what it was."  
  
"Perhaps if you stayed longer you would have seen what it was." Fragrance groused.  
  
"Enough, we all know the nature of the forest and anything that could strike terror into the spirits that protect this land would certainly be too much for our warriors to face alone. Blossom you made the right decision to return." Cologne replied countering the other elder's harsh words.  
  
Blossom, a tall young Amazon with green hair that hung down to her waist in a long braid bowed towards the ancient, diminutive matriarch. "I thank you, matriarch. Your words honor me."  
  
'This is grievous news, what could do this?" another elder asked. Shampoo recognized her as Orchid, one of Cologne's closest supporters.  
  
"It certainly explains why there are so many wolves in the lowlands." said another elder named Incense. She was one of the youngest elders, perhaps around Kogame's age. She was not a warrior any longer and was unable to fight due to an injury, but her knowledge of ancient lore helped her keep her status.  
  
"I urge the matriarch to call a war council to immediate discuss what action, if any is possible, should be taken to determine the nature of this threat." said the elder named Jewel. She was the oldest of the group and highly respected. At four hundred years old she was one of the oldest Amazons alive.  
  
"I agree, we will meet here tonight after dark in war council to discuss this and assemble a plan to study this problem. This meeting is concluded." Cologne replied and she ended it by thumping her staff three time as per custom. The group around the council building began to disburse quickly. Some of the women and men offered greetings to Shampoo and Ranma's family.  
  
"Great grandmother, what we do?" Shampoo asked Cologne when she came bounding into view.  
  
"I will likely be sending you Shampoo into the wilds with a team to investigate what is causing this, but wait until our war council tonight. By that time all of our other warriors patrolling the land around the village will be back so they can all attend." the ancient woman replied.  
  
"I go tell Ranma what happening." Cologne nodded to her great grand daughter in agreement. The young Amazon lead her house guests back to the tree house where they found Ranma busily chopping vegetables for their lunch. A bassinet sat across the room. As Shampoo went to Ranma everyone else went over to have a look at the newborns.  
  
"Hey, how was the tour?" she asked.  
  
"Trouble. Blossom return and tell great grandmother that the forest is quiet, and there much fear in the forest." Shampoo told her. Ranma suddenly looked very nervous.  
  
"That's not good, not good at all." she said in Mandarin.  
  
"Figures we'd show up and a crisis would rear its ugly head." said Ukyo as she sat down at the dinner table and unslung her Baker's Peel to be more comfortable.  
  
"Just like the old days." Akane replied sitting down also as Ryoga pulled out her chair for her.  
  
"Don't any of you worry about it, we'll be able to figure it out. You're guests so you don't have to get involved, unless you wanna that is." Ranma told them as she checked the ramen cooking at the stove. Shampoo sidled up next to her and started helping out.  
  
"Ranchan, you know we'd help whether you asked us to or not. You're like family to me and the Tendos, so you can be sure we'll be there if you the Amazons need us." Ukyo replied.  
  
"Thanks. If there is something going on and its effected 'this' forest, we may need your help." said Ranma.  
  
"Well, me and Akane will help. Right?" Ryoga said and look at Akane who nodded with a smile on her face.  
  
"It'll be like old times, like when we went after Akane and that Prince Kirin guy." said Ukyo.  
  
"You mean Kiri-baby? He comes and visits from time to time with Lychee, they have two kids now." replied Ranma as she stirred the ramen.  
  
"You and Kirin are friends?" Everyone but Shampoo looked at her with surprise.  
  
"Kirin, Prince Herb, and little Saffron is so cute." Ranma replied.  
  
"Ranma help make alliances with Musk and Phoenix people. That why she so respected by Amazon elders, except for Fragrance but she no like anybody." said Shampoo who was making the sauce for the ramen using the vegetables Ranma had cut.  
  
"Anybody home?" came a voice from outside.  
  
"Doors unlocked Blossom, come on in." Ranma called. The green haired girl the others had seen from the elder's council strolled in and leaned her studded mace against the wall.  
  
"I heard somebody had their babies last night." the Amazon said as she walked up to Ranma and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Ranma pointed to the bassinet. Blossom walked over quietly to where the infants were sleeping. When he eyes fell upon them they turned huge and will with wonder.  
  
"Oh wow. They are so adorable." she cooed.  
  
"Wait, you had triplets?" she asked suddenly realizing there were three newborns.  
  
"Yep. And all of them are girls too." said Ranma.  
  
"Cologne is loving that I bet." Blossom laughed quietly so as not to awaken the sleeping infants.  
  
Ranma and Shampoo served lunch as the fathers finally arrived. Soun and Genma drained their bowls quickly and were surprised to discover it had been a recipe that Ranma had come up with on her own. She shared it with Kasumi so she could make some back home. After lunch Dr. Tofu gave the triplets an examination with Kasumi's assistance.  
  
"They're all three very healthy." he said.  
  
"Of course, Ranma was on a special regiment of exercise and diet that has been handed down throughout three thousand years of Chinese Amazon history." said Cologne who had arrived during the examinations.  
  
"Its certainly done wonders for her. You wouldn't mind if I studied this special regiment of yours for my own patients would you?" he asked her.  
  
Cologne smiled. "If you had been anyone else I would have said no, but in your case I'll make an exception. I'll get you a copy of the scroll."  
  
"Oh my, thank you, this will certainly help many of our patients back in Nerima who are expecting." Kasumi thanked her.  
  
The ancient matriarch turned to Shampoo and Ranma. "I want the two of you at the war council tonight."  
  
"You expecting trouble, granny?" Ranma asked.  
  
"No, but I thought a good way to break up the dark mood that will likely come out of that meeting was to hold the Ceremony of Naming afterwords." she replied.  
  
Ranma's face brightened with a wide smile. "Hey, that sounds like a good idea. And that means the Doc here will have to come too."  
  
"Me?"  
  
"Yep, you helped give birth to them so you get to help come up with names for them." Ranma nodded to Ono.  
  
Dr. Tofu looked a bit shocked but he nodded with a smile. "I'd be honored, thank you Ranma."  
  
"To be choosing name for new Amazons is great honor," said Shampoo. "Not many mans get honor of the naming."  
  
"Kasumi as well since she also helped." said Cologne who then looked at the eldest Tendo sister with a smile. Kasumi promptly blushed.  
  
"Are men allowed to these meetings?" Akane asked.  
  
"Yes, but they usually aren't allowed to speak unless recognized by myself or another elder." Cologne told her.  
  
"You remember what I said about us being lucky we were born in Japan, Saotome?" Soun asked his old friend. They were sitting across the room nursing a large keg of wine they had gotten from the village square market earlier in the day.  
  
"I certainly do, Tendo." the patriarch of the Saotome clan replied.  
  
The two men embraced and cried, "Oh how lucky we are to be born Japanese!"  
  
Ranma rolled their eyes at them then she and Akane both at the same time said, "Baka."  
  
=====  
  
"I call this war council to order!"  
  
The sun had set below the mountains and a tapestry of stars now hung in the sky overhead. Nearly the entire Chinese Amazon nation was in attendance at the meeting. They had come from several different settlements all over the valley and some form as far away as Peking. Ranma, Shampoo, and Mousse sat with the others in the front of a great circle that had been marked out using posts. In the center was a roaring fire, to the side sat the elders. The opposite side of the fire was meant for those who were to speak at the meeting. They watched as Blossom came forward and gave the same report that she gave before that day, but this time everyone heard her. Shocked but hushed murmurs ran through the crowd.  
  
"Indeed this is troubling. What evil could cause this to happen?" asked the elder named Fragrance. She was a woman who was a constant thorn in Cologne's side.  
  
"Elders, what Blossom described is also happening in the forest around our village to the north." an Amazon named Satin stood up and spoke.  
  
"This eerie quiet is also further south." stood up another Amazon by the name of Lemon.  
  
"It appears the entire forest of the Josenkyo valley and mountain ranges is effected." said Cologne.  
  
"What of the lands of the Musk and Phoenix People? Does this effect them also?" asked the elder Orchid.  
  
"That we do not know, but if it reaches that far north and south then it is likely. Josendo is not far from our immediate territory." said Cologne.  
  
Ranma stood to speak. "Elders, I could travel to the lands of the Musk and Phoenix People. This is a problem that effects all of us."  
  
"Nonsense, you have only just given birth child. We have many other warriors who can go in your place. It needn't be you." said Incense who gestured for her to sit.  
  
"We don't even know what this thing is that doing this," said the elder Lotion, and woman about the age of Cologne with short blue hair. "So discovering what is causing this should be our first priority." All of the elders nodded.  
  
Cologne turned to her great grand daughter and beckoned her to come into the circle. "Our strongest warrior is unable to perform this task at this time, so I will send our second strongest warrior." She leveled her gaze on the lavender haired Amazon and said, "Shampoo, assemble a group of our best warriors and go into the forests. Discover the nature of what we face if possible. I would also like you to visit the lands of the Musk and Josendo to see what they make of it as well."  
  
"Yes honored matriarch." Shampoo bowed towards her respectfully.  
  
Ukyo and Akane both stood up. Cologne caught their movements in the corner of her eye and she turned to regard them. "I recognize Tendo Akane and Kuonji Ukyo." she said. A few murmurs went up among the elders, mostly those from Fragrance's camp.  
  
"Thank you. We may not be Amazons, but Ranma is a part of our family and she is an Amazon. Therefore we request that we join Shampoo on this quest." Akane said while trying very hard to keep her voice from quivering.  
  
"If my great grand daughter does not object." Cologne smiled, she knew the girls would want to help out. With Ranma unable to go because of her newborns they would want to do what could to assist.  
  
"I have none at all." the young Amazon smiled.  
  
"Matriarch. Is it wise to involve outsiders into this?" Fragrance asked.  
  
Cologne leveled a stare at the woman that made her cower a bit. Fragrance was not afraid of Cologne one bit but the protective look in her eyes reminded her of the time she tried to dispute Ranma's Amazon status many years ago. "They are not family to Ranma by blood, but they are her family nonetheless, and that makes them more than just outsiders. They are not Amazon, but they are exempt from most of our laws. This includes the Kiss of Death and the Kiss of Marriage."  
  
Being members of Ranma's recognized family, that is not family by blood, they were safe from the law. It was meant to prevent any such conflicts from taking place. "I have no further objections."  
  
"Shampoo, you have three days time to prepare. It will be enough time to assemble a group and gather your supplies." said Cologne. She turned to the two girls and added, "I will have Blossom teach the two of you what you can and cannot do in the forest as this will be your first time venturing into the enchanted woods. There are dangers there you have never seen before, that most of the outside world have never seen. I thank you for volunteering to assist."  
  
The two girls bowed towards her. "We are honored to be of assistance." said Ukyo.  
  
=====  
  
Dr. Vernor Von Hildenburg held the fax sent to him in his hand as he checked the new observations that were done of the object that day. It was the day the object was to intercept Jupiter. Today it will either smack into the planet, get pulled into orbit and become another small moon, or get flung out into space again. It took a while for the system to bring up the latest images. He also had access to images from Hubble that were sent to him on a regular basis from NASA. This was an event similar to Shoemaker-Levy 9 and the Americans did not want to be left out.  
  
Hours pasted as more observations were taken. Each image showing the asteroid closer and closer to Jupiter. The whole thing took several hours but Dr. Hildenburg found it hard to feel tired. This was history in the making and he did not want to miss any of it. Finally the moment they had all been waiting for came. The control room was standing room only as several dozen astronomers from several European nations filed in. Dr. Milner stood behind him looking at the computer screen as the newest images came up.  
  
"Its going to be sling shotted into space. Coming in at that angle and speed it will be traveling too fast to be pulled into orbit, and its angle is all wrong for an impact." Dr. Hildenburg said as he looked at the images and made an educated guess.  
  
"You may be right." Dr. Milner nodded.  
  
Three hours later it happened. When he saw it Dr. Hildenburg immediately grabbed the phone and began dialing.  
  
=====  
  
Dr. Edward Lister sat in the Hubble Control Center at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Houston, Texas. It was late but the whole place was a buzz with activity as images came pouring in from the Hubble Space Telescope of Jupiter. There were over twenty different monitors and terminals and each one had a dozen or more people standing around watching the new images being downloaded one at a time. What they saw was absolutely incredible.  
  
When Shoemaker-Levy 9 approached Jupiter the immense gravitational field of the massive gas giant caused the comet to break up into pieces. This appeared to be a repeat of that. The images streaming in a high resolution showed the asteroid breaking in half. The two pieces started to move off in different direction. It was clear from the speed of the two objects that they would not fall into Jupiter's gravity but be slung into space, but which way they would ultimately go would not be obvious for several more hours. As time passed the two larger fragments broke again into small chunks, each about twenty to twenty-five kilometers in size and all of them went off in different trajectories. For the astronomic community it was an incredible show. Little did they know it was the prelude to something else entirely.  
  
=====  
  
Ranma, Mousse, Kasumi, Dr. Tofu, Nabiki, Kogame and the fathers saw Akane and Ukyo off when Shampoo and her band of warriors left for the wilderness. It was a surprisingly chilly morning. A fog had crept into the valley that night and the travelers could not see not more than a few feet in front of them. The two girls thought for a while on the things that Blossom had taught them about the forest, what they should do and what they should not do. The green haired Amazon was among Shampoo troop along with her cousin Perfume, Ling Ling and Lung Lung, and Lavender a short but pretty Amazon who wore her blond hair in a long braided pig tail. Their journey would take them through several mountain passes. The lands of the Musk were the first place they intended to visit. Akane had not seen Prince Herb since the day he tried to throw her, literally, out of the Nekohauten many years ago. She was a bit worried about that despite hearing that Ranma and he settled their differences and became close friends. The same could be said of young ten year old Saffron, the resurrected child-prince that Ranma had killed to save her. It seemed like a million years ago to Akane. The walk would take two days to reach the citadel that was the home of Prince Herb in the mountains.  
  
=====  
  
In the city of Nerima, a small suburb of greater Tokyo, two people in different parts of town awake from the same dream. Saotome Nodoka and Kuno Tatawaki both experienced a vision in their sleep. The vision was of the mountains, they had never seen them before yet a voice in their minds told them it was the Bayakawa mountains of China. The voice urged for them to go there. They felt themselves drawn to this place even now as the two climbed from their beds. They both remembered the one who spoke to them. She had been beautiful, apparition is loveliness with long sky blue hair that hung in two long pony tails. She wore ornate robes that were almost befitting a princess or empress, and she radiated an air of immense power and authority.  
  
"Go to the Bayakawa mountain range. Seek out the village Nyanchiczu. You have only three weeks. You must go there." she had said before the vision faded as they awoke.  
  
"What does it mean?" Nodoka wondered as she walked into her kitchen. She opened the fridge and started to pour herself a glass of orange juice when she remembered something important. Wait, Nyanchiczu is the home village of that girl Shampoo., she realized. Quickly she went to her purse to get her ATM. She was going to need to see if she had enough airfare for China.  
  
Across town, Tatawaki picked up his son with gentle hands and carried him towards the dinning room for breakfast. "I remember it so vividly, could it have been an omen. A message from the Kami?" he said. Then he remembered, the name of the village. It was the same place that his beloved wife had gone. Kuno decided that he and his son would depart for China as soon as possible.  
  
==========  
  
TO BE CONTINUED.... 


	5. Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: "Ranma 1/2" is the registered trademark and copyright of Viz Communications, Kitty Productions, and Rumiko Takahashi. All rights reserved. All other Anime and non-Anime characters who appear in this fic are the registered trademark and copyright of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

RANMA FOREVER

by Michael "TheZorch" Haney

Chapter 4

He could not believe that he had gotten this assignment so easily, or so quickly. It was a dream come true to work at a place like this. None of the other MIT grads ever imagined anything like this place even existed. He was one of them. He was also shocked to learn that Area 51 was actually a front to keep this place a secret. His escorts were a pair of armed guards from the main security office. They took him as far as the monorail which was programmed to drop him off at this destination. Gordon Freeman stepped inside and took a seat near the front so he could get a good view out of the forward windows. As the car began to move a soft, feminine computerized voice came from the speakers in the ceiling.

"Welcome to the Black Mesa Research Facility..."

Akane and Ukyo had never heard such an eerie quiet like the one they heard now. The forest was the most beautiful sight they had ever seen, but the silence marred that beauty and made the place seem frightening by contrast. They had been traveling for several hours down the valley past the cursed springs, which they avoided by a wide margin. The towering spire of Phoenix Mountain now dominated their view. It had been so long since Akane had seen this place. The landscape was littered by boulders which had once been a part of Josendo. Ukyo had gotten the chance to see the place close up an hour ago and the sight of it gave her a new respect for just how powerful Ranma really was. Saffron had a hand in destroying the top of the mountain also, but Ranma had been power enough to live through it. His modified Hiryu Shoten Ha which he used to kill the Phoenix Prince had done its share of damage also.

Akane looked into the sky and could see dozens of winged forms swarming around the mountain. She tapped Ukyo's shoulder and pointed upward. The Okonomiaki Chief gasped in shock. Those were not birds, they had wings like birds, but they had the main bodies of people. Shampoo ordered the procession of warriors to stop. She reached into a pouch at her side and withdrew a small whistle. It was made of silver and adorned with several small markings, when Shampoo blew into it the two girls from Nerima heard nothing come from it. However, somebody did hear it. Almost immediately there was a flurry of activity at the top of the mountain. Before long three figures soared down from the heights and alighted to the ground before them. Akane had to bite her tongue and reel in her suddenly simmering anger when she looked upon the face of the one in the lead. Hers was a face that Akane would never ever forget for her entire life.

The one who greeted them was Captain Kima.

"Friend Shampoo, what brings you to Phoenix Mountain, and in the company of so many warriors?" Kima asked in Mandarin. She had not failed to notice Akane's presence among the other women. There was no way she could ever forget what the Japanese girl looked like for she wore that very same face half the time or when ever she was caught out in the rain.

"Its rather urgent, something is disturbing the balance in the forest. Have your people noticed anything unusual?" Shampoo asked in the same tongue. Blossom, Ranma and Shampoo's close friend, stood at the back of the ground and whispered translations to the two Nerimans.

Kima looked suddenly very serious and replied, "Yes, we feel it. An oppressive fear has fallen across the land, but my people do not know its nature. We are attuned to the forest, all I can say for certain is that it seems to be waiting for something to happen."

"What is that something?" Shampoo asked worriedly.

"We have been unable to uncover that secret, I'm sorry." the beautiful winged woman replied.

Shampoo gestured towards the warriors behind her and said, "Great grandmother has sent us out to try and discover what is causing this. It effects us all, if we learn the nature of this threat I will make certain word of it reaches you."

Kima bowed towards the Joketsuzoku and said, "Thank you."

Kima let her gaze fall upon Akane. All of the warriors in the village had by now learned the full story about what really happened at Josendo more than ten years ago. They parted to let the Phoenix woman past as she walked up to Akane. Ukyo had heard the same story and tensed up ready for a fight, but the two of them were shocked when Kima went down on one knee before them.

"Ranma is a dear and kind friend to my people. I never had the chance to make amends for what I had done to you Tendo Akane, my misdeeds from so many years ago haunt me still to this day. Please forgive the wrong I had done to you." She said with her head bowed.

"If Ranma can forgive and forget I guess I can too." Akane replied.

Kima stood up and smiled. "Thank you, friend Akane." The Phoenix woman was about to leave when she suddenly eeped and turned towards Shampoo.

"Did Ranma's hatchings arrive yet?"

Shampoo nodded and smiled brightly in reply.

"Baring twins is a great honor for her, I must go to see them." said Kima, but before she could leave Akane spoke up.

"She had triplets actually."

Kima and the two other Phoenix warrioresses with her all screamed girlishly and leapt into the air. Akane had never seen the stern, winged female warrior act that way before. They made a straight beeline for the Amazon village frantically flapping their wings. Akane just shook her had and laughed. Leave it to somebody like Ranma to make friends out of former bitter enemies. Especially when it was somebody like Captain Kima.

As dawn arrived they were much deeper now within the wilderness than before. The great mountain that held the Josenkyo valley was now far off in the distance as was Phoenix Mountain. The quiet was unnerving. The warriors were all on edge. Shampoo noticed a few of them held their weapons so tightly their knuckles were turning white. Indeed they knew what this forest was capable of doing if it was threatened, and if something could strike such terror into it now then whatever that was it was to be very dangerous. The lands of the Musk were several days away. Shampoo sat with the girls from Nerima that night at camp to show them the map. It was rugged country up in the mountains where Prince Herb built his citadel. It was there that the last of his people carved out a meager existence on the side of a mountain. The soil there was rich for it was once a volcano millions of years ago. Crops grew well there, so they could remain self-sufficient relying very little on the outside world. They still interviewed local woman when seeking wives, but Shampoo had heard tales that a few of their number had begun using Josenkyo again. Ukyo whom had heard this story just shuddered a bit at the thought.

The one thing Ranma hated more than anything else was being left behind when there was trouble afoot. That sort of thing had not happened since she first arrived in the village. Before the Joketsuzoku finally accepted her as a true warrior. They recognized and appreciated what she had done against Saffron, but it took them a while to fully accept her into the tribe as an equal. It had been a few days since the group left and the redhead, pigtailed Amazon was itching to go chasing after them. Yet, Ranma just could not bring herself to abandon the three tiny lives she brought into this world. It seemed to her like this was all some great fantasy world that she feared she might wake up from one day. She never tried to imagine herself as a mother back when she was still a boy, back before the curse was locked forever. Those were emotional hurdles that Ranma faced and conquered a long time ago. They were of little importance anymore. She had a good life now among the Joketsuzoku recognized as the strongest warrior in the tribe and in a position of great honor as second wife under Shampoo the future Matriarch.

The father were now spending some quality time with the three newborns. It was the first time since they were born that they actually had anything to do with them. The three little girls were the future of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts and they both knew it. Which was why they also had to watched, especially her father. There was no telling what might be going through that the head of that baka. Mousse was on hand to keep an eye on them while Ranma rested. After several years Mousse had been taught in the Anything Goes style and with the improvement of his vision due to his eye surgery he was a force to contend with. He was also good enough to take on both Genma and Soun at once if the need arose. Perhaps fear of a swift and painful death by the hands of the entire village kept the baka panda from grabbing up one of the small bundles and making a run for it.

Ranma took this time of rest to get to know her family all over again. She listened as Kasumi relayed to her all the things that happened over the past ten years. The redheaded Amazon realized she had been away for far too long. Nerima had changed a great deal since she left. While much stayed the same, there was enough that changed it seemed that once she went there to visit it would seem alien and unfamiliar to her. That was alright, it was not a great loss since the village was home now and she was happy being here. Nerima was a nice home away from home, but she would not want to live there again. There were too many memories there.

One of the changes Ranma could not get over was Nabiki's marriage to Kuno Tatawaki. That seemed like a match made in Hell, but after listening to Nabiki for half an hour it seemed like it was actually working out well. Who knew the wannabe samurai would eventually be the one to break through the middle Tendo sister's defenses and so thoroughly capture her heart. Kuno himself seemed absolutely smitten with Nabiki and their son. Who knew Tatawaki would make such a great father. On the other hand Kodachi had changed little. To this day she blamed Akane for Ranma's absence from Nerima and on a few occasions actually attacked her. Ranma felt bad for not being there for her during those times, but you cannot change the past. Akane did eventually improve in the Art with Ryoga's assistance and was able to finally beat Kodachi in a fight; fair or not. The insane gymnast "accepted" her brother's marriage to Nabiki with about as much grace as a hippo. She would soon come to see the match as perfect punishment for her brother after he refused to assist her in taking vengeance against the Tendo clan for Ranma's disappearance years ago. Time did little to erase her insane grip on her little fantasy world.

The Ono Clinic, Ranma was surprised to hear, had grown over the years into a small medical center staffed by several doctors under Dr. Tofu and over a dozen nurses all supervised by Kasumi. Now that was a match made in heaven. Ranma had never seen two people so much in love as they were. She could tell when Kasumi held one of the triplets that she was yearning for a child of her own. Ranma knew that if the Kami were smiling upon them her wish would one day come true. It took her and Mousse several tries before she finally got pregnant. Of course, the conception was the fun part so Ranma did not mind how many times it took to finally get her knocked up.

Ranma also had a chance to get to know Tendo Kogame. Time failed to steal away the beauty she possessed early on in life. The woman could have easily had a career as a supermodel in her youth. The pigtailed Amazon had a chance to see her specific form of knitting martial arts. It was very effective and Kogame was indeed very good. It was no wonder then that Happosai did not stand much of a chance against her. Also, she had a lot of practice fighting off hentai in her youth as it seemed her cousin was something of a real weirdo. Ranma sat looking at her with a shocked expression when Kogame told her of all the times she pummeled him after waking up and finding him fondling her in her sleep or the time he slipped some kind of Japanese version of the Amazon Passion Spice into her ramen. She nearly lost her virginity to him that day, but thankfully she was able to gain control over herself at the last minute. He stopped assaulting her after that. Often he would wake up in the middle of the night screaming. Normally getting beaten half to death by a gorgeous, naked sixteen year old hottie was how hentai got their rocks off, but the things she did to him were not meant for mortal eyes. The boy's supposedly self-appointed iinazuke, a real cuttie who seemed to wear nothing but a yellow tiger striped bikini had not been too happy with her after that. And to think Akane had it bad growing up.

The women all sat on the upper levels of the great tree house. The triplets all slept soundly nearby in a large bassinet. The canopy of leaves overhead acted as a natural shield form the sun. Anyone sitting there that day could have sworn that the leaves actually moved so that the area around the newborns was completely protected. This was but one out of many astounding things the women would witness during their stay with Ranma and her family. The arrival of the winged people form Phoenix Mountain was certainly one immense shock.

Though none of them had seen Captain Kima before they all knew of her and the fact that she had abducted Akane. Not only that but she also had a self-imposed Josenkyo curse that transformed her into Akane's likeness. Therefore Kogame, Nabiki, and Kasumi were being very cautious the way they dealt with her. Ranma noticed their reluctance to strike up a conversation with the winged warrioress and decided their fears needed to be calmed. The beautiful winged royal guard of Lord Saffron sat at the table with them after she fawned over the newborns several minutes.

"I've made a lot of friends since coming here, and my own fair share of new enemies too." Ranma explained to the worried women.

"What happened at Josendo was an unfortunate misunderstanding caused by my people's unreasonable fear and distrust of outsiders." said Kima.

"There was a good side effect to all this, after the battle a new spring appeared at the top of Mount Phoenix." one of the two warriors with Kima commented.

The other one nodded eagerly. "Our people see it as a miracle." she said.

"Ranma taught us humility, a lesson I fear our people sourly needed to learn." Kima added.

The pigtailed redhead blushed furiously. "It wasn't that bad, and I wasn't totally innocent either."

Kima put up her hand and replied, "This is an issue we debated over and over again in the past. I believe the westerners have an old saying, it is no good to beat a dead horse."

Ranma laughed, "Yeah, its ancient history. Lord Saffron and I are pretty close friends now."

"He's gotta be, what, ten years old now?" Nabiki said questioningly

Captain Kima nodded. "Twelve actually, and we have made certain that he was raised to have a better respect for other races than his previous incarnation."

"It took a lot of work, but the people of Phoenix Mountain are more open to outsiders and have trade agreements with several local villages including this one." Ranma explained to the women.

"It seems that Akane's stories about you were not quite as exaggerated as I once believed." said Kogame.

"I guess I'm just cursed to live in interesting times." Ranma laughed.

"OH MY!" Kasumi cried out. Nabiki gasped loudly and shot to her feet. She and the others looked around in surprise and shock at the scene around them. Ranma want immediately to the children and was relieved to find that they were blissfully sleeping. Kima and her two subordinates took protective positions around the women with weapons drawn.

"W-W-What's happening?" Kogame asked sounding nervous.

Multicolored streams of light like strands of hair thin crystal showered down from the canopy above them. The lights panned, shifted, and strobed bathing the entire tree in bright light. The spectacle was visible as far as Phoenix Mountain and the citadel of the Musk. Ranma grabbed up the children in her arms and made her way down the tree with the rest in tow. They reached the ground just as Cologne, the fathers, and Happosai arrived. Ranma turned back to the tree, she could not understand why, but she could "feel" that something had actually alarmed the great tree. Since moving into its great boughs she had several instances where she thought she could actually hear the tree speaking to her. There was no denying it now, the tree was crying out, and she could hear it very clearly.

"Something's happened, I don't know what but the tree certainly knows something." she said to the ancient matriarch.

"Ancient writings from our ancestors tell us this tree thinks for itself. Could this be the tree warning us of some danger." Cologne said thinking out loud.

Nabiki walked up to them holding a small object in her hand. She lifted it to her ear for several minutes. Se sighed heavily and said, "I don't know what's going on, but every shortwave communication from the United States just went dead."

Everyone looked at her in alarm. "What?"

"This is a portable shortwave receiver for getting weather reports and world news from the BBC and the United States. Almost all those channels have gone dead." explained Nabiki.

"It couldn't be war could it?" Kasumi asked nervously.

Nabiki shrugged, "I don't know. I know they were having trouble with Iran and North Korea recently, but I doubt a full scale war was imminent."

"Besides, Japan isn't a strategic nuclear target if there is a war." said Kogame.

"Nuclear?" everyone shouted at once.

"Hold on, we don't know what's happening. Nabiki you gotta cell phone or satellite phone?" Ranma asked the middle Tendo sister. Nabiki nodded and took a small phone out of her purse. Ranma tried it, after several minutes of trying several numbers she sighed and let her arms drop to her sides.

"All phone circuits into Japan are out." she told them.

"My baby!" Nabiki cried in a very uncharacteristic show of vulnerability.

"Don't panic, for all we know it could be sun spots or a solar flare or something. Those can knock out phones and radio communications." said Cologne trying to sound reassuring.

Ranma looked up at the great tree, a worried expression crossed her lovely features. "Whatever it is its a lot more serious than war."

"Would somebody please tell what the hell just happen?"

The main command center at Cheyenne Mountain was controlled chaos as deck officers and technicians worked with the speed and dedication of a hive of bees go everything back in order. The main boards were all down, the screens that displayed the movement of every object that flew over North America was completely blank. Communications were also down, the base had no link to the outside world, but luckily the vast facility had its own power supply. The worse had to be assumed, but there had been no sign of a first strike which made it all the more unnerving for everyone. General William Haggerson commanded the floor when the emergency happened. The only way he could describe it that a shockwave of some kind shot through the entire base leaving total chaos in its wake. Communications and radar had been down for nearly half an hour before there was finally some progress made.

"General Haggerson, sir, we managed to get a line to the Pentagon. There didn't appear to be a strike, but they're having the same problems we are." one of the deck officers reported to the man who had just demanded answers to questions he knew would be hours from being answered.

"EMP?" Commander Williams wondered out loud. He was a younger officer assigned as Haggerson's aid.

"No, we're heavily shielded against electromagnetic pulses down here, and the solar observatory would have warned us of a flare in advance." Gen. Haggerson told him.

"The Pentagon reports they are slowly getting communications back, but is slow going." the deck officer reported as he set down the phone.

"Try getting me a line to the President." the general ordered.

"Yes sir." Williams saluted and went to one of the phones sitting on his console.

"Its been ten hours since the incident. Any idea what caused it?" Gen. Haggerson sat at the phone speaking with the President several hours later. Getting a line through to the White House had been difficult but communications were back up for the most part and NORAD's radar monitoring network was almost back to fully operational.

"The epicenter was where? Black Mesa? But, Mr. President, that's just a scientific research complex." he said with some surprise.

The general looked around the room and said, "No, there haven't been any usual incidents since the blackout, and no reports of anything strange. Mr. President, what's this all about?"

He listened for several minutes. Commander Williams watched the general's face turn pale after several minutes. "Yes, Mr. President, I understand. At once, sir." He put the phone down then slowly got to his feet. The general could see dozens of eyes focused on him and expectantly awaiting his next orders.

"We are now at Defcon 5, the blackout was a result of an incident the details of which have been classified at the highest level. Needless to say, we've been invaded. By aliens." he told them. There was audible gasp from the people in the cavernous room. "The invasion began at the Black Mesa scientific research complex in New Mexico and has begun to spread. Forces are being deployed to the area as we speak. As of right now there is a media blackout and the President has declared a national emergency. SAC has been put on full alerts as has every available division of the National Guard and Air National Guard."

After a long, pregnant pause he added, "We are at this moment in a state of war."

TO BE CONTINUED...

Notes: Well, here it is the next chapter to RF. Sorry it took this long to get it to you but I've been having some problems lately. As you might have noticed this fic is taking an interesting new direction. The whole asteroid story arch isn't being dropped. No not by a long shot, but its not what many of you thought it would be. To say any more would give too much away. Also, any one familiar with the name "Gordon Freeman" will know that this fic will crossover with "Half-Life"; one of the great FPS games of all time on the PC. "Half-Life 2" has dominated a lot of my non-writing time lately. Its an incredible game, and was well worth the wait. I'm transitioning to a new ISP also from AOL Hell to something more useful like Earthlink. By the time you read this I will already be using this service. In the near future you may begin to see a little bit of "Final Fantasy XI" show up in some of my fan fics. I'm going to be one of the millions who now play the game worldwide this weekend. Once I'm on I'll post my Name and which server I'm on in my profile on the page and FFRUS page. OH, and anyone who can't figure out who was being described in the sentence about a girl who always wore a yellow tiger striped bikini should be ashamed of themselves. Yes, its Lum from Urusei Yatsura, the manga that put Rumiko Takahashi on the map and created the whole "teen sex comedy" genre who all know and love today. Arigato-gosaimasu Takahashi-san!


	6. Chapter 5

DISCLAIMER: "Ranma 1/2" is the registered trademark and copyright of Viz Communications, Kitty Productions, and Rumiko Takahashi. All rights reserved. All other Anime and non-Anime characters who appear in this fic are the registered trademark and copyright of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

RANMA FOREVER

by Michael "TheZorch" Haney

Chapter 5

Dr. Eli Vance had warned of the possibility of a resonance cascade but nobody really believed him. He himself never believed fully that he'd ever witness one let alone survive one. He knelt down next to his friend Dr. Izzy Kleiner and tied off the tourniquet to keep him from bleeding to death until it was safe to move him. Gordon had been in the testing chamber when the cascade occurred. It was a miracle that he survived. Thank god for that hazard suite, indeed. It had been nearly three hours since he'd send Dr. Freeman to the surface for help. What little information he was getting from the other science teams in the complex wasn't good. Barney, the only security guard in their section to have survived the resonance cascade and subsequent invasion by the strange head-crabs was guarding the small room they were using as shelter.

"Is he gonna be ok, doc?" Barney asked Dr. Vance.

"I think so. If we can get him medical attention soon enough I think he'll be fine." Eli replied.

Barney held his hand up to his radio ear piece and swore. "This ain't good."

"What is it?" Dr. Vance asked wondering what could be happening to make things worse.

"The marines came, but they aren't exactly here to rescue us." he replied.

"Alex ... Brenda." Eli whispered with a sigh.

Hearing a sound in the distance down a side passage, Barney draws his sidearm. "We got company."

He waits, half expecting a squad of marines to come bursting in to spray the room with lead. In a way he didn't really blame them for wanting to wipe out the complex, but why were they killing off the science teams? It really didn't make any sense to him. The sound drew closer until whoever or whatever it might be was on the other side of the bulkhead door that kept the room sealed. The only way to get in was via a retinal scanner. He could open most of the doors in this section. Dr. Vance had access to every area on this level. He could hear somebody messing around with the control panel on the other side of the wall and muffled voices. The door finally opened and a dark haired man with glasses wearing an unfamiliar uniform entered the room. He saw Barney and immediately lowered his machine gun as to appear non-threatening.

"Don't shoot, we're here to help!" the man said raising his hands.

"Who are you?" Dr. Vance asked.

"We're from the SGC. Are you the only survivors in this section?" asked a young blond woman wearing a similar uniform as she came in the door. She was followed by a tall dark haired man who manner and bearing screamed Military and a tall brown skinned man with a strange gold emblem stuck to his forehead. The other three carried standard machine guns and pistol sidearms, but the big brown skinned man carried a strange looking lance with a rounded tip.

"SGC?" asked Barney who reluctantly put away his sidearm.

"Col. O'Neil, the NID troops were not far behind us, we should not remain here long." the dark skinned man said in a deep voice.

The tall man with the military bearing turned and ordered, "Ok, Teal'C, Daniel, start planting C4 in that corridor. Lets see if we can't slow them down a bit. Sam, are we getting any closer to the epicenter of this residents cassette or whatever it was?" The tall dark skinned man and the one in glasses hurried into the hallway.

"Resonance cascade, and yes I think we're getting close." Dr. Samantha Carter replied while she checked a strange looking device that looked like a Star Trek tricorder.

"I know where it happened." Dr. Vance told her.

"What can you people do about it?" Barney asked still not sure who they people were.

Samantha shrugged and said, "Right now I'm not sure, but if things keep going the way they are the cascade effect will continue to spread. Its totally engulfed the base already and is starting to spread out into the valley."

"Its spreading! Good lord!" Dr. Vance exclaimed putting his face in his hands.

The other two ran back into the room. "The explosives are set." said Teal'C. The one in glasses turned around and fired off a burst into the hallway.

"Uh, Jack, we got company. Those crab things, lots of them." he said.

"Time to go." Col. O'Neil ordered. He went over and helped Dr. Kleiner to his feet. He and Dr. Vance helped keep him steady as they left. When they were far enough away Dr. Carter set off the C4 collapsing the corridor behind them. It would be nearly half an hour before they finally reached the testing chamber. Getting past the malfunctioning laser was the easy part, but the place was overrun by aliens that fired off electrical blasts. Col. O'Neil and Teal'C cleared them out while Daniel and Dr. Carter protected the others.

"There isn't any way to reverse a resonance cascade." Dr. Kleiner told Dr. Carter in a weak voice.

"Technically yes, but I have a theory." she replied.

Dr. Jackson asked, "What exactly is a resonance cascade?"

"Well, technically its an event where the fabric of space and time resonates at such a frequency that it begins to merge with another universe, or at least in theory that's what happens." Eli explained.

"Yes, but for a resonance cascade to occur the fabric of space time in a given area has to already be dangerously unstable." Dr. Carter added.

Daniel thought for a moment and asked, "Ok, so what could have made space time here so unstable in the first place?"

Dr. Vance's mouth fell open for a moment then he closed his eyes and shook his head. "Oh god, the portals." he said with a look of horrified realization on his face.

"Portals?" she and Daniel both asked at the same time.

Dr. Vance nodded, "Yes, we've been experimenting with portals for a while now. That's how we discovered Zen, an alternate universe where these creatures are coming from."

"Their portal research might be an off-shoot of the first stargate program." Dr. Carter guessed. It was an assumption that made sense.

"That's all well and good, but what caused this whole thing to happen anyway?" Daniel asked.

Dr. Vance had been pacing the room. He stopped and replied, "We sent Gordon into the test chamber with the mass spectrometer. The resonance cascade occurred when he pushed the sample into the beam."

Jack's eyebrow went up. "What sort of sample?"

The scientist went to a panel on the wall and opened a small latch revealing a keypad. He tapped in a series of number and the panel opened with a hiss. He returned carrying a clear container filled with protective foam. Sitting in the middle of the foam was a small rock which looked immediately familiar to all of them. Dr. Vance handed the container to Dr. Carter. She pulled out a small wand like device and passed it over the rock.

"Is that what I think it is?" Jack asked.

Teal'C didn't have to see the outcome of the test. "Yes, Col. O'Neil. It is unrefined Naqueda."

"But, Naqueda isn't found on Earth, how did they get a sample of it?" Dr. Jackson asked. He looked over at Dr. Vance for an answer.

"The administrator Dr. Breen gave us the samples." he said.

"Uh, samples?" Jack said questioningly. He didn't like the idea of anyone having the material without the SGC knowing about it.

"Yes, there's large bins of it down in the main sample storage rooms three floors down." Dr Vance told him.

Samantha rubbed her chin for a moment and said, "I have a theory on how to reverse the resonance cascade."

Dr. Vance then said, "Impossible, you'd need an incredibly massive amount of power."

Jack turned to Barney and asked him, "If I recall, didn't the Pentagon loan a one-hundred megaton nuke to Black Mesa a few months ago?"

The security officer blanched for a moment then asked, "How did you know that? The only way I know is because I was assigned to the section that oversaw the security for its delivery."

"Gen. Hammond?" Daniel asked Jack.

Jack nodded, "Yeah, he called in a few favors and got a list of the stuff the place had delivered over the past twelves months. Interesting stuff."

"Whoa! Wait, how much Naqueda are we talking about here? That stuff intensifies nuclear explosions." Dr. Jackson asked quickly as alarms went off in his head.

Samantha asked Dr. Vance, "How much of this material is in that storage area?"

"Three containers full, about a quarter pound each." he replied.

"That is significantly too much." said Teal'C.

"We take the rest with us, and leave some behind with the nuke." said Jack.

Dr. Jackson checked the magazine on his rifle and said, "Ok, sounds like a plan."

As all eyes were focused on the United States no attention was directed towards the stars. Somewhere in the deaths of space a bright flash that should have been noticed by those that should have been watching illuminated the sky on the far side of lunar orbit. A tear in the fabric of space and time opened like a scar on the tapestry of stars spewing luminous particles into real space. From the depths of the dimensional rift emerged a great black shape. It was immensely long, resembling a nightmarish leviathan of an ocean from a maniac's worse delusions. Had anyone been watching the skies telescopes would have seen the many holes and tears in the skin of the leviathan, and the fires which burned within. The great shape roared past the moon skimming the surface only by a few hundred miles. The great blue marble that was the Earth soon dominated the object's view, and it was about this time the leviathan fired jets of gas which slowly inexorably began to alter its course.

"Its afraid, terribly afraid."

Ranma softly caressed the rough bark of the great tree as if trying to sooth it like one did a child. Filaments of light continued to stream from the great tree's leaves in all direction and towards the sky above. The light show had now drawn the attention of the entire village and people from hundreds of miles around. They gathered on the hill tops and mountain tops to watch as a spire of light rose into the sky and launched itself high above the clouds. Soon, this began to cease and then the tree grew calm again. The lights faded, but the questions still remained. What was happening?

On board Fuji-Air flight two thirty-nine, two people watched the spire of light shoot into the sky in the far distance. Saotome Nodoka wasn't entire sure what she had just seen but it was certainly exciting. Kuno Tatawaki held his beloved son close and wondered if the light were a good or bad omen. None of them on that flight had any idea what events that were about to transpire would ultimately mean for the future of humanity.

Somewhere in California seismic detectors registered a massive disturbance in the region of New Mexico. People observed what could only be described as a massive mushroom cloud rising out of the desert. It was a sight that hadn't been see in decades since after testing had been banned. Col. O'Neil and the SG-1 team plus a few scientists and one man named Gordon Freeman arrived as the SGC for a debriefing. As the meeting began elsewhere in Cheyenne Mountain a radar technician called his superior over to look at her display. They scratched their head over it for a moment before suddenly realizing something was very wrong. A call was made to the office of the President, which was easy to do since all communications with the United States had mysteriously started working again a few hours before.

Something unbelievably massive was entering the Earth's atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean.

From the top most part of the great tree they watched as a bright fireball tracked across the sky. The very air around it rippled as the super-massive shock waves of its passage compressed the air. A roar unlike anything Ranma and the others had ever heard filled the sky and the ground under their feet shook. The great tree came alive again with light and this time the spire that rose from it spread out and formed a dome that covered all of the lands around it. It stretched to the territory of the Musk, Phoenix Mountain, Josenkyo and the mountain passages into Nekonron. The fireball loomed in the sky massive and bright and fell down past the horizon. The ground shook violently and an explosion tore the air asunder and raise a broiling cloud of dust and fire miles into the sky.

In the aftermath of the fireball they gathered around Nabiki's crank powered radio and looked at one another in terror at what they heard.

"This is BBC reporter Loyd Akers reporting from the scene of what was once the city of Tokyo. The shock wave from the incoming object detected little more than eight hours ago cut a swath of devestation across the northern half of the Japanese island of Honshu. The death toll is estimated to rise into the tens of thousands as fire and rescue crews from as far away as Osaka and Hokkaido continue to pour in. There are scattered reports of massive damage to North Korea with estimated deaths in the hundreds of thousands, and a spokesman from the People's Republic of China confirms that the city of Beijing is quote 'gone' unquote. The scene there is described as something out of a horror movie as the shock wave of the object was felt in that region and North Korea at its strongest. It has been confirmed by the U.S. State Department that major military centers in China located near Beijing have been utterly destroyed. The Chinese Communist parliament and president were in session at the time of the disaster. Hopes for their survival are expected to be non-existent. However, it is reported that the Emperor of Japan and his family were away from Tokyo when the object passed. They were enjoying a family vacation in the southern half of the island of Honshu at the time of the disaster. I will be reporting in during a press conference to be held in Osaka in one hour by the Emperor of Japan and the only surviving member of the Diet, the Japanese parliament. British Prime Minister Tony Blair one hour ago made this statement 'this was the single greatest disaster in the history of humankind since the great Indonesian tsunami of two thousand five. This is Loyd Akers, BBC World News reporting from Osaka, Japan."

Nabiki had gone catatonic. All she could think about was her child and her husband and that she would never see them again. Ukyo cried on Kogame's shoulder. Konatsu hadn't been anywhere near the swath of destruction, but she had friends in Tokyo and now they were likely gone. Mousse held Ranma tight as the redhead suckled her newborns. They and her new extended family were now all she had left. She thought about her mother and prayed to Kami-sama that her passing had been quick and without suffering. She thought about Nabiki's family and felt like she might loose it, but she needed to stay together not just for her babies but for everyone else.

In the village below the elders and Cologne were in emergency session. "Then we are in agreement." the ancient Matriarch said. All of the elders nodded. "The accursed communists are on their knees, we will not have a better opportunity to finally remove their filth from our sacred homeland. Send runners to the Musk, Nekonron and to the Phoenix people. The liberation of our land has come."

Thus a new chapter in the history of humanity had just begun.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Notes: This is just the beginning of what will be an epic storyline for this fic. Stay tuned.


	7. Chapter 6 Part 1

DISCLAIMER: "Ranma 1/2" is the registered trademark and copyright of Viz Communications, Kitty Productions, and Rumiko Takahashi. All rights reserved. All other Anime and non-Anime characters who appear in this fic are the registered trademark and copyright of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

**oOOOo**

**RANMA FOREVER**

by Michael "TheZorch" Haney

**oOOOo**

Chapter 6 – Part 1: Return of the Queen

Three weeks later ...

More than a thousand miles away a man sat in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C. watching TV. It had been three weeks since the arrival of The Visitor but they knew less about it since that time than they do right now. The reason for that was right there on the screen.

"Good evening, I'm John Graham. The situation going on in China is sketchy at best. We managed to get through to our reporter in China via satelite phone who is on scene near where the fighting is taking place. Matt tell us what your seeing right now." said a reporter when the screen switched to a picture of young man.

"This is CNN reporter Matthew Bower, it has been three weeks since The Visitor cut a swath of destruction through the orient. Since that time vicious civil war has erupted in China. I'm about fourteen miles south of the devestated city of Beijing and you can hear gunfire in the distance. The fighting has been going on for nearly six hours straight, and all reports I'm getting from locals here is that the Chinese military are loosing the fight. Not much is known about the rebel fighters except that they appear to be virtually invicible. The locals I spoke with claim these people to be a group called the Nyanchiczu. According to ancient Chinese legend the Nyanchiczu are a race of warrior women who once dominated a portion of China, and it is said that the emperors of China were so terrified of them that it was made law that none were to interfere with them. A few locals claim the Nyanchiczu have managed to survive even to this day in communist ruled China. Reports I'm getting from other reporters and from western tourists fleeing the war torn areas tell me that the rebels are almost entire made up of women and that they are not using any guns. A British journalist for the London Times I met the other day claims to have seen the leader of the rebels. He describes her as an incredibly beautiful, red haired girl of possible Japanese decent. Wait, I'm being told that the rebels have broken the Chinese military's defensive line. That is where the fighting is going on right now that you hear less than a mile away. Oh my god, massive explosions, they look like small scale mushroom clouds! I've never seen anything like it, all the shooting has stopped! I don't know what's just happened, it looked like a series of miniature nuclear explosions just went off!" said the disembodied voice on the TV.

"Matthew, are you in a location where you can get a good look at what exactly is going on?" the reporter in the studio asked.

"I'm on the roof of a building right now. What I can see are clouds of black smoke rising up where the explosions took place. From what I know there were over four hundred soldiers of the China army positioned there, and, wait I see something. Women! I see a column of women running out of the smoke, they're all dressed different in Chinese style outfits, and they're armed with what appears to be melee weapons. No guns. I see no sign of the Chinese military. The defensive position also had tanks, but I don't see them either. Wait, I'm starting to get a good view of the area, the wind is clearing out the smoke. Oh my god, the tanks look like they've been cracked open from the inside! This is absolute incredible, the entire contingency of Chinese soldiers and tanks have been completely wiped out!" said the reporter on the phone.

"Matt, what are these warrior women doing now?" the reporter in the studio asked.

"People are streaming out of their homes, I'm hearing cheering in the streets. The women are running down the street at an incredible speed. Holy! One of them just jumped to the roof of a three story building in one leap! And another one, and another, their all taking to the roof tops! This is literally like watching a real life Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon! Its unbelievable what I'm seeing, but its real! John, I've just witness something impossible, but its real. I'm going to try and get to a better vantage point. This has been CNN reporter Matthew Bower reporting from China."

The President flipped off the TV with the remote and looked over at the group assembled next to his desk. They were the Gen. Sam Nelson, head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. John Hammond of Stargate Command, William Hurle, current Secretary of Defense, and George Bennett, director of the CIA.

"I had my people look up information on these Joketsuzoku people. All indications seem to point to the fact they are more than just a legend." Gen. Nelson said, the first of the group to speak up.

"Mr. President, Major Carter and Dr. Daniel Jackson have done their own research. According to what they've uncovered the Joketsuzoku may be directly related to the ancient Amazons of eastern Europe." Gen. Hammond said.

The President replied, "You mean, the same Amazons from Greek legend?"

"More so sir, they might be direct descendants of the Ancients we discussed some time ago. The people who originally built the Stargate network. Dr, Daniel Jackson is still researching them." the general answered.

"What if they came from The Visitor?" the Secretary of Defense asked.

The CIA director shook his head. "No, infrared satellite monitoring of the area around the crash site shows nothing leaving the object."

"Have we heard anything from the Chinese government?" the President asked.

"Not much, at least what's left of it, Mr. President. The entire parliamentary body of the Chinese government and their Prime Minister were wiped out when Beijing was destroyed. Also, the primary headquarters for the Chinese military was also destroyed along with every member of their upper echelon leadership, thus leaving them scattered and leaderless." said Gen. Nelson.

"The Visitor's reentry hit the entire area hard. Reports coming in say there are no survivors in North Korea, but in Japan survivors have been found. Tokyo was the least hardest hit by the shock wave." William Hurle said.

"If the fighting continues like it has we estimate that China will fall under total rebel control in about a month, Mr. President." Gen. Hammond explained.

"My god, a group of women wiping out one of the most heavily armed and highly trained military forces in the world." the President said shaking his head.

"Mr President, this isn't our normal routine, but SG-1 is very experienced at negotiating with unknown foreign powers such as these Joketsuzoku. I'm prepared to commit them to going to China and making contact with the leader of these rebels." Gen. Hammond said.

The CIA director said, "Mr. President, I really don't see much of a choice. All attempts to contact the rebels has lead to a dead end."

"Making contact with them is of top priority, we need to know their intentions. Can your people really do this?" the President asked Gen. Hammond.

The general nodded, "Yes, Mr. President. They can."

oOOOo

Saotome Nodoka sat crying in her "guest" room. Her arrival had not been a welcome one. The minute she showed her face in the Nyanchiczu village and people realized whom she was they immediately took her into custody. She wasn't crying for herself, she was crying for the son that was now dead, but at the same time she was crying with joy over the three tiny lives she held in her arms. When she first discovered Ranma's change she immediately demanded she fulfill the pact and commit seppoku. The Amazons didn't like that idea very much. They locked her up in a cage for a few days while they debated what to do about her. The Saotome clan sword was taken from her and handed over to the one whom had once been her son. Her husband tried to protest, but he was no match for the Amazons. Nodoka was later released under the following conditions; accept what cannot be changed or be forced to leave the village never to see Ranma ever again upon pain of death. Nothing makes a person reevaluate their personal opinions like a dozen razor sharp weapons pointed at your face. They still didn't trust her, a warrior was assigned to follow her everywhere she went. She really didn't blame them because of foolish way she acted when she first learned of Ranma's fate. It was a miracle that they didn't kill her on the spot, she was an outsider after all, an outsider demanding the death of one of their own for no good reason. It was ultimately Ranma who got them to back off after a few days. Her son ... daughter, had changed over the years. She was Joketsuzoku through and through, and quite capable of protecting herself. And, most of all, she explained that she had no misgivings when it came to killing her if it meant protecting herself and her family. That was what finally changed Nodoka's attitude in the end. The hard, determined look on her daughter's face broke through years of clouded judgment and badly skewed perceptions of honor. The person before her was her child and Nodoka finally learned she was a grandmother.

"They're so beautiful. They have your aunt Himako's nose." she said look at the tiny bundles fast asleep.

Ranma sat in a lotus position next to her on the bed, tears in her eyes. She inwardly hated having to threaten her own mother's life, but it was necessary to break through the woman's stubbornness. Ranma still had the clan sword, it was stored away in pocket space where she kept all of her other weapons.

"And my eyes." Ranma said.

The older woman looked at her daughter. She looked so much like herself at that age. Ranma was slowly beginning to look like her mother, except for the red hair. That probably belonged to their cousin Kiriko. She was half American, and had long red hair. She lived in Hawaii.

"You have my mother's eyes. I knew when you grew up the girls wouldn't be able to resist them." Nodoka said then looked down at her hands. "I guess that doesn't really matter now."

"As I explained before, okasan, I can't ever change back. Jusenkyo is a trap, I locked myself in this form trying to cure myself, otherwise the curses mix like they did with Pantyhose Taro." Ranma explained to her again. Nodoka just sighed heavily then smiled warmly at her daughter.

She said, "I've been such a foolish old woman." Tears began to once again fall down her cheeks.

She was startled when Ranma came forward and wrapped her arms around her. "You are not old or foolish." she said. "When you look like Cologne then you can say you're old." The two women laughed at the joke.

"But don't tell 'her' I said that." Ranma added with a wink.

Nodoka hugged her child and said, "I'm so proud of you. And I'm so sorry we couldn't have had more time together."

"Its alright okasan, we got all the time we need now." Ranma replied softly, tears started to stream down her cheeks.

A knock came to the door and Shampoo poked her head into the room. "Ranma, they waiting for you in great hall." she said.

"Can you watch the little ones for me?" Ranma asked her mother. She knew her mother could never bring hard to such a small child. Ranma no longer feared her, she feared no one, and she trusted the woman now.

"Isn't that what grandma's are for?" Nodoka replied with a smile.

**oOOOo**

Three weeks earlier...

"Elder Cologne, the arrival of that object caused several earthquakes in the region. A previously unknown cave reopened near the village. We found these inside." The ancient matriarch watched as a group of warriors brought in several large clay pots into her home. They were all sealed with wax and didn't appear to have been disturbed. That they were very old was obvious, and more importantly she recognized the patterns engraved on their sides. These pots were of Amazon design.

"In ancient times valuable scrolls were stored in clay pots like these by our ancestors." Cologne said as she brushed the centuries of dust off the first pot. She hopped over to a table and retrieved a small knife which she used to chip away at the hardened wax. A sudden hiss of air told her she was successful and the warriors removed the heavy top. Inside were several perfectly preserved scrolls. Cologne delicately removed one of them, moved to another table and began to slowly roll it open.

"Oh my. This is the story of the Red Queen. The last of the great Amazon Queens." she said and the warriors gathered around with great interest. The Red Queen was a legend they all grew up listening to.

"It says here that when the Red Queen was on her deathbed she appointed a warrior to be matriarch and leader of our people. The Red Queen's only daughter died in battle, and she had no heirs." she said. It was the very same story she knew as a child. As she continued to read she began to realized that the story she grew up with didn't end there.

What she said next she said in a near whisper. "As her spirit ascended into heaven it is written the Red Queen proclaimed that when our need was great a new queen would appear. A new Red Queen. She said to ... look for the fire from the heavens ... as a sign" She opened the scroll further to reveal an intricately painted picture of the great Red Queen. Cologne and the rest of the warrior women in the room all gasped in shock.

The Red Queen looked exactly like ... Ranma. What did this mean? Was it a sigh? Cologne thought for a moment, her train of thought was interrupted.

"Matriarch, what does this mean?" the warrior who spoke before asked her.

"Have the ambassadors of the Musk and Phoenix Mountain arrived yet?" Cologne asked her. The warrior shook her head.

"No, but we did received messages via messenger pigeon that they were coming, matriarch." the warrior told her. She looked nervous, never before had the Joketsuzoku, Musk, and Phoenix met in council like this in many centuries.

"I must speak with the elders immediately." Cologne said and the warriors rushed out of the house to find them.

**oOOOo**

Ranma was silent as she following Shampoo into the grand meeting hall of the Joketsuzoku elders. The structure was of ancient Chinese design and stood for more than three thousand years after Cologne's ancestors migrated to this place. The Joketsuzoku could trace their ancestry all the way back to the legendary Amazon's of eastern Europe, warrior women on the plains of ancient Russia, and the warrior tribes who lived on the steppes of Mongolia. In a way they were far older than three thousand years, but Chinese culture and belief systems grew predominant among their tribe and so over the centuries their old European ways faded way. The worship of the goddess Hera was replaced with Buddhism and Confucianism. They survived the scourge of Atilla the Hun, and they survived the cultural revolution which purged China of its old ways after the fall of the emperor and rise of the communist government. Theirs was a society frozen in time.

Usually only females were allowed to be here for special ceremonies, but today was different.. The first person Ranma saw as her eyes adjusted to darkness of the hall as Nabiki holding little Kai. Not half a day after Nodoka arrived Tatawaki showed up with Kai in his arms. Seeing the toddler in his arms the warriors didn't try to fight him to see if he could defeat them as was the law. When it was learned that he was in some way related to Ranma's family he was treated with a little more respect. The middle Tendo sister smiled at Ranma, turned Kai around so he could see and pointed out the beautiful red head to him. The toddler made a noise and motioned as if to mimic his mother's actions. The other women around her looked like they were literally forcing themselves not to fawn all over the cute little boy.

Akane, Kasumi and their stepmother Kogame stood with Kima from the Phoenix tribe. Beside her stood Prince ... actually Princess Herb whom like Ranma was never going to be able to cure himself of the curse and had to learn to live with it. A young boy stood next to Kima. He was small for a twelve year old and watched Ranma with awe. She thought the young Prince Saffron, future King of the Phoenix tribe, was quite a cutie and would certainly attract many a fine young suitors one day.

Cologne and the rest of the elders of the tribe stood on the far end of the huge building. Clutched in her hands was the very scroll. Ranma had protested this until she and ancient matriarch were actually fighting in the streets of Nyanchiczu. In the end she gave in when the ambassadors from the other nations of the Jusenkyo valley arrived. There was no way out of it. All of the elders had examined the scroll, not one could dispute its authenticity. That included Mousse's own aunt who hadn't been and still wasn't a fan of Ranma even after all this time. She was in the minority now and knew that speaking out against or acting against Ranma with the revelations in that scroll known to the village it would spell the doom of her entire clan. Grouped together were the men; her father, Soun, Dr. Tofu, Ryoga, Tatawaki, and Mousse holding little Rosebud. Happosai was absent. Ranma had been informed that the old man was enjoying a comfortable herbal induced nap. She wished her mother could be here for this but the babies couldn't be left by themselves.

With a sigh of resignation Ranma stopped before Cologne and the elders and waited for her fate to be decided. Cologne regarded the reluctant looking red head with a smile.

"For three thousand years the Joketsuzoku have been without their queen," Cologne began and held up the ancient scroll found in the urn. "When our ancestors settled in this valley a brave, wise and cunning warrior lead out people. She was known all as the Red Queen, loved by our people and feared by our enemies. It was under her rule as queen of the Joketsuzoku that we were able to establish ourselves here and become the great people we are today. An ancient prophesy proclaims that the Red Queen would return to us one day and that we should took towards the skies for a sign." She raises her hand holding the ancient scroll towards the ceiling of the grand hall.

Cologne proclaimed, "Behold, the prophesy is finally fulfilled! Look for the fire in the sky, the prophesy proclaims. The time of the queen's return has come."

One by one the elders of the village stepped forward and announced that they had studied the scroll and found it to be authentic. Even Mousse's aunt did not waver as she spoke. When they were done Cologne stepped towards Ranma and bade her to kneel. Reluctantly Ranma did as she was told and looked at the ancient Amazon with pleading eyes.

"We already discussed this," Cologne whispered to her quietly.

Ranma sighed and whispered back quietly, "I know, its just ... I don't know if I'm ready for this sort of responsibility yet."

Cologne smiled and replied in a whisper, "I doubt anyone in this room will hold it against you if you make a few mistakes. You're human, not a goddess."

"And now passes the end of the rein of the matriarchs," Cologne said to whole room. Shampoo and the village enforcer, her cousin, Perfume stepped forward. With gentle, precise hands Shampoo draped a silk robe over Ranma's shoulders. With great reverence Perfume held in her hands a sword in its scabbard. Cologne to the elder Lotion who walked forward holding a golden grown in her hands. Cologne took it from her with ceremonial grace and turned towards Ranma.

"Now again does begin the rein of the Queen," she proclaims and gently places the crown on Ranma's head. Cologne reverently takes the sword from Perfume and presents it to Ranma with both hands as she kneels down to her new queen. Taking one last sigh, Ranma takes the sword in her hand and stands. The room remains silent as the bell of the village shrine tolls again and again.

Ranma turned around away from the stares of the elders and towards the others ... her people .. her subjects. They stood there looking at her as if they were expecting her to say something, anything but the words would not come. Tears began to fall from here eyes as she saw the love, the trust, and reverence in the eyes that looked upon her.

"May the gods bless the rein of Queen Ranma," Prince Saffron spoke up breaking the silence.

"My her blessed beautiful shine with the light of peace upon the world," Princess Herb added with a kind smile directed at the red head.

"Blessed be the queen," everyone chorused and knelt to one need. Some would say that day that somewhere on the left side the grand hall someone actually said "pig tailed goddess" instead of "Queen". Soon after the ceremony a grand feast was held and people from all of the nations of Jusenkyo valley came to welcome the new Joketsuzoku queen. The celebrations lasted well into the night and into the next day, but not everyone was partying and having a good time.

As the celebrations continued Ranma returned home to her children. She sat in the nursery with her little bundles of joy. Nodoka watcher her daughter feed her grandchildren with a joyful smile on her face. She was proud that Ranma had chosen to breast feed. She had wanted to breast feed Ranma but Genma wouldn't allow it. He said it would make Ranma grow up weak or some sort of nonsense like that. The robe and crown were meant for more ceremonial events than for everyday where so Ranma was in her typical Joketsuzoku outfit. She hadn't dressed in her red "Chairman Mao" style silk shirt and black stretch pants in years.

"My daughter, the queen," Nodoka said with a laugh as she brushed her daughters long red hair.

Ranma rolled her eyes as she careful put the child on her shoulder and burped her. "That wasn't my idea, I got roped into it." she said.

"So what now?" Nodoka asked her wondering what was going to happen now that her child was now the de facto ruler of all of China pretty much.

"Right now, we have three bands of warriors mopping up what's left of the People's Republic Army," Ranma explained what she'd been told by the elders after the ceremony.

Nodoka asked her sadly, "Is war really necessary?"

Ranma thought for a moment and could hear the voice of the great tree ring clearly in her head. "We need the people of this country united under one banner and quickly." she said.

"Why?" Nodoka asked not really understanding the reasoning for this war except as an act of Amazon revenge against the communist regime.

Ranma looked out of the window and at the star filled sky. "Something is about to happen, something is coming," she said. "And its going to change everything." Nodoka couldn't help but feel a cold shiver run down her spine. Something about how Ranma said that last part made her feel very worried.

**oOOOo**

Thousands of miles away, deep within Cheyenne Mountain.

"And when exactly were you going to tell us about these, Zen-whatchamacallits?" Col. Jack O'Neil asked the gray skinned, diminutive creature sitting at the table across from him.

"Zentraedi," Thor, commander of the Asgard replied correcting the colonel.

"Whatever," O'Neil said with an exasperated tone. "Why haven't you told us about them yet?"

"Your expeditions into the stargate have not yet taken you into the domain of the Tirolian Empire," Thor replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "There was no need at the time."

"These Zentraedi, what exactly are they?" Dr. Daniel Jackson asked the alien.

Thor, who for all intents and purposes looked like a "Gray" from popular UFO culture, responded, "The Zentraedi are a race of genetically engineered soldiers created by the Tirolian Empire to function as their army."

"Sort of like what the Goa'ould have done?" Dr. Samantha Carter asked Thor.

Thor replied, "Zentraedi stand 60 meters in height and possess no fear of death."

Jack whistled when he heard this. General Hammond sat forwards and asked, "And you're saying that the Visitor has the same energy signature of one of these Zentraedi ship?"

Thor looked at him and said, "There is a ninety seven point nine three six eight one nine three percent chance our readings are incorrect. Sensor readings do indicate, however, that the crew of the vessel perished during orbital reentry."

"Hmm, alien barbecue," Jack said jokingly.

Teal'C finally spoke up. "The Goa'ould have had encounters with these Zentraedi before," he said making Dr. Jackson do a Spock Maneuver.

"Did everyone else know about these guys but us?" Jack asked throwing up his hands.

"What do you know about them?" Gen. Hammond asked Teal'C.

The former Jaffa replied, "Only that any Goa'ould fleet that ever encountered them never returned."

"These Zentraedi can take out an entire Goa'ould fleet?" Major Carter asked him.

Gen. Hammond demanded, "How do you constitute that as something unnecessary to tell us about?"

What Thor said next silenced everyone. "The total compliment of the Zentraedi main fighting force is estimated to be in the area of four to five million vessels." he said with batting an eye.

What Jack said was also on the minds of everyone else in the room, "Holy shit!"

"It can't be that large, the logistics of maintaining and manning a fleet of that size would impossible." Major. Carter said shaking her head.

Thor replied in a matter-of-fact tone, "The estimated population numbers of the Zentraedi race are ten to fifteen billion."

"That's more than the population of most inhabited planets with highly developed civilizations." Dr. Jackson gasped as he rolled the numbers around in his head.

Gen. Hammond thought for a moment and the idea of a force like that appearing in orbit of the Earth wasn't a pleasant prospect. "What's the likelihood that these Zentraedi would come here looking for their lost ship?" he asked Thor.

"The Zentraedi have never been known to seek out lost vessels for the purposes of rescue," Thor told him. "Their entire race is geared toward warfare and nothing else. They cannot comprehend what you humans would call compassion."

"They sound like the types to blast first and ask questions later," Dr. Jackson said jokingly. "You'd get along with them real nicely, Jack."

"So they won't come to find out what happened to their ship or its crew?" Major. Carter asked Thor. She couldn't comprehend a race which showed no regard for their own kind like that.

The gray skinned alien replied, "It is statistically unlikely, Doctor Major Carter."

"If the vessel was sufficiently damaged in such a way that reentry was fatal to the crew it is unlikely that they were able to broadcast a message to their people." Teal'C reasoned.

Dr. Jackson said, "That's assuming the crew were even alive when the ship reached the Earth."

"If the Zentraedi do enter this region of space the Goa'ould would most certainly respond aggressively." Teal'C told them.

"My people do not possess the technology nor the force of numbers to repel even a small Zentraedi incursion into Terran space." Thor said added.

Col. O'Neil slapped the table and said, "Lets not assume the worst here. A ship crashed belonging to a bad ass race of giant alien warriors. Thor said it himself, they likely won't come looking for this ship."

"A single vessel in the mindset of the Zentraedi is more than expendable," Thor explained.

"Either way, the President has authorized SG-1 to go into China and attempt to make contact with these Amazons," Gen. Hammond announced to them all.

"About these Amazons, the Joketsuzoku," Dr. Carter said. "I've done some research into them and my hypothesis that they are in some way related to the Ancients might be correct."

"How so?" Gen. Hammond asked.

"Well, the histories and legends in Greek mythology appear to have a factual basis in warrior women among the Sarmatians," Dr. Jackson explained. "This society of female warriors seem to have had their roots in very early eastern Bronze Age. Amazons were said to have lived in Pontus, which is part of modern day Turkey near the shore of the Euxine Sea, known today as the Black Sea, where they formed an independent kingdom under the government of a queen, often named Hippolyta which means ''she lets her horses loose''. They were supposed to have founded many towns, amongst them Smyrna, Ephesus, Sinope, Paphos. According to the dramatist Aeschylus, in the distant past they had lived in Scythia, at the Palus Maeotis, the Sea of Azov, but later moved to Themiscyra on the River Thermodon aka the Terme river in northern Turkey. Herodotus called them Androktones meaning ''killers of men'', and he stated that the in Scythian language they were call ''Oiorpata'', which also has this meaning. In the story related by Herodotus, a group of Amazons was blown across the Maeotian Lake into Scythia near the cliff region which is today's southeastern Crimea. After learning the Scythian language, they agreed to marry Scythian men, on the condition that they not be required to follow the customs of Scythian women. According to Herodotus, this band moved toward the northeast, settling beyond the Tanais river, and became the ancestors of the Sauromatians."

"That's a beautiful history lesson Dr. Jackson but how does it relate to the Ancients?" Gen. Hammond asked him looking rather exasperated.

"The Amazons were often known for their worship of the Greek goddess Hera, wife of Zeus the king of the gods and of Artemis, goddess of love and war," Dr. Jackson explained as he leafed through some notes in front of him on the table. "I found references to Hera and Artemis in several texts belonging to the Ancients. As we know when the Ancients left the Earth long ago they did leave some of their people behind. Its not inconceivable that Hera and the other Greek gods were Ancients. Also recent DNA evidence links the ancient Amazons with the peoples on the steppes of Mongolia."

"General, we've been trying to find answers to a lot of questions about the Ancients," Dr. Jackson continues. "One of them is probably the most important of the them all. The location of Atlantis, which is named frequently in several Ancient texts."

"And you're hoping they might be able to help answer those questions?" the general asked him.

"Probably," Dr. Jackson and Major Carter replied at the same time.

"Its likely they don't have any records from that era but ancient cultures like theirs often have old stories, myths and fairytales which might have some basis in fact that might help us fill in a few blanks." Dr. Carter explained.

"A wise accertation," Teal'C complimented her.

"Brief me when you get back," the general told them.

"So, when do we leave?" Jack asked.

"In three days," Gen. Hammond told him. "You'll fly to the air force base outside of Tokyo and then you'll transfer to another flight that'll take you to the USS Kenosha in the Sea of Japan."

Col. O'Neil's eyebrow did a Spock Maneuver. "Gloval."

"What?" Daniel said curiously.

"Henry S. Gloval," Major Carter said answer for Jack. "He and his family defected to the United States in the nineteen sixties. He's the first and only defector to have ever been allowed to command his own ship. During Vietnam he commanded the Sebastian, a small combat frigate."

"The man has a way of instilling almost fanatical loyalty in the people who work for him," Jack told them. "He can be a hard ass but he also cares for the people under his command. The President himself recommended Gloval for command of the Kenosha."

"I've never heard of a USS Kenosha," Dr. Jackson told them.

"That's because until as of three months ago its existence was a secret," the general explained. "She's the first carrier at sea that can run submerged. Basically she's a carrier and submarine all in one. The top of line in American knowhow."

Thor chimed in, "It would appear our discussion is complete. I will return to my vessel. Before leaving orbit I will transfer all materials we possess concerning the Zentraedi and the Tirolians to Dr. Jackson's computer."

"Thank you that would help greatly," Dr. Jackson thanked him. The alien did not wave as it looked at them and vanished via transporter.

**oOOOo**

Somewhere in the depths of deep space Breetai, the commander of a one of the best ships in the vast Zentraedi fleet, made the decision to cross into Goa'ould space. Thousands of sensor buoys in space suddenly sounded an alarm to dozens of different system lords. Rivalries were set aside as a vast fleet was assembled. The Goa'ould were about to go to war.

Elsewhere, a beautiful green haired woman of perhaps thirty years of age sat in the luxurious and spacious bridge of her vast ship. Alarms sounded and the great tree behind her began alive with bright shimming streams of light. A young woman and an older man came running to see what was happened as a holographic display came to life.

"Lady Seto, what is it?" the young woman asked.

The Demon Princess of Planet Jurai stood up and read the data as it streamed across the screen. "This is it," she said to them. "The great tree that went missing thousands of years ago. Its sent out a signal after so long."

The man gasped in reply, "The great Umatsaturu, one of the first original first generation royal trees."

Lady Seto smirked whimsically, "And guess which planet it happens to be one?" she asked them.

"Earth," the young woman said in surprise. "Where Princess Ayeka and Sasami are staying!"

"He's been under their noses all this time," the older man said.

Lady Seto frowned as a new set of data appeared on the holographic screen. "That's not all," she said. They looked at the graphical and text output of the sensor data and gasped in horror.

"The Goa'ould parasites and the Zentraedi are about to go to war," the younger woman said.

"And Earth will be caught in the crossfire," Lady Seto said. "Set a course for planet Jurai, we must assembled the main fleet at once before this gets out of hand."

**oOOOo**

**To be continued ...**


	8. Chapter 6 Part 2

_The follow story is a work of fan fiction using characters that are copyrighted and/or trademarked. The purpose of this story is for fan enjoyment only free of charge. All original content is protected by Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License._

**oOOOo**

Michael "TheZorch" Haney's

"**Ranma Forever**"

**oOOOo**

Chapter 6 – Part 2: Point of Insertion

"I think I'm going to be sick."

"Again?" 

Col. Jack O'Neil regarded his teammate and friend with some sympathy. Ok, amused sympathy but sympathy none the less. After they landed on board the Kenosha over four hours ago Dr. Jackson had the wondrous experience of what it was like to disgorge the entire contents of your stomach ... on four separate occasions. Which would mean that he barfed his brains out every hour on the hour.

"You never said you get sea sick," Jack said to him.

Dr. Jackson looked up at him from his bent over position on the ship's railing on one of the lower external decks. "I did once as a kid, thought I grew out of it."

"Apparently you didn't," Jack quipped.

Major Samantha Carter chose that moment to make her presence known. She handed a small bottle to Dr. Jackson. Behind her stood the tall and imposing visage of T'ealc in SG1 field dress minus the SGC insignia. The symbol of the Jaffa on his forehead was covered up by a woolen cap.

"That should help you Daniel," she said as she stood beside the Colonel.

"I could have used these three hours ago, but thanks." Dr. Jackson groused, but he knew the Major Col. O'Neil had been busy coordinating things with the pilot charged with getting them safely into China.

The man that had been chosen was a hotshot ace pilot who rose through the ranks rather quickly and at the surprisingly young as of twenty five earned the position of CAG on the Kenosha. His name was Commander Roy Fokker. An additional perk of that position gave him commands of the legendary YF-23 Jolly Rogers which had been transferred to the experimental submarine carrier after it was commissioned. On the U.S.S. Kenosha they were simply called "Skull Squadron" and were some of the best of the best in Naval aviation. They were all bat-shit crazy seat of their pants jet-jocks but that's what made them so damn good at what they did.

"When do we head out?" Daniel asked. He'd been busy going over the notes he'd brought with him from the SGC. His curiosity with the Amazons women whom were known as the Joketsuzoku in their native tongue had him eager to get started despite his sea sickness.

"Most of the ground forces in China have pretty much been whipped out, but they still have a considerable naval presence," Sam explained. "A bulk of the Chinese navy is in the Sea of Japan right now coordinating for a strike against Amazon targets in the mainland." She didn't mention the fact that the Joketsuzoku didn't have any targets for the Chinese navy to attack, but she wasn't aware of that yet.

"Which means taking off from here and flying straight into China would be a bad idea," Jack added. He didn't like the idea none either. They didn't have any stealth aircraft on the Kenosha and dying from a Soviet made cruise missile launched from a Chinese destroyer didn't sit right with him either.

"Indeed," T'ealc agreed with a nod of his head. He could see the strategic disadvantages of going into China while still in the Sea of Japan with a trigger happy navy right under you.

"So, we're going to enter International waters near Hong Kong and launch from there," Sam continued. "Which will take us two days to get there. Commander Fokker is finalizing things with the Captain."

Jack pointed at Daniel and said, "You get the bottom bunk, I'm not gonna have chunks raining down on me in the middle of the night."

"He'll be fine as long as he takes those pills once every eight hours," Sam dismissed his comment.

T'ealc broke in with a question, "Is there any further information on the situation we may encounter on the mainland, Major Carter?"

Sam pursed her lips and said, "Our intel is sketchy at best, we have only what we're able to get from news reports or satellite imagery so far. Large bands of civilians have begun banding together to raid government buildings and offices all over the mainland. Chinese government officials were dragged into the streets of Hong King and shot to death by an huge angry mob yesterday. As for the Amazons, they appear to be almost everywhere."

"Some BBC reporter talked to a few of them and they kept on about some Red Queen or somebody like that," Jack said adding to what Major Carter knew.

Dr. Jackson came up from the railing to look at him, and asked as he adjusted his glasses, "What? Did you just say 'the Red Queen'?"

"Some of the Amazons spoke of someone rising to power in their ranks and they called her The Red Queen." Sam nodded.

"Why?" Jack asked knowing Daniel well enough to know he had something lengthy yet important on his mind he wanted to say ... at length.

"A few ancient texts found in Mongolia in 1853 speak of a mighty female warrior queen," Daniel explained when everyone looked at him questioningly. "She was reportedly a leader of a band of women warriors who defiantly stood against and actually held their own against Atilla the Hun. One of the most striking attributes about this woman was that she had bright red hair, her people called her The Red Queen. Her enemies called her the Bloody Maiden or the Crimson Death."

"Stories of strong warrior women are common in the ancient lore of my people," T'ealc interjected. Of everyone on SG-1 he was the one who could best understand and appreciate these Amazons for what they were.

Jack rolls his eyes, "Behold the awesome power of PMS."

"Jack," Sam jabbed him in the side with her elbow.

From an open hatch door came a tall, young tanned man in a blue pilot's uniform. On his head he wore a mane of blond hair. When he approached the members of SG-1 Jack noticed the guy's eyes wander over Major Carter's form just a bit before he stopped to talk to them. On his lapels were symbols of his rank as CAG of the U.S.S. Kenosha. The nameplate below his wings read "Fokker".

"The flight plan's been OK'ed by the old man," Cmdr. Fokker said to them. "We take off at oh-five-hundred hours two days from now. You're point of insertion will be Guangzhou, a port city northwest of Hong Kong."

Samantha did a Spock Maneuver. "That isn't very far inland." Their journey to where the Amazon village was supposed to be was going to be a long one.

"The North Vietnamese are starting to get nervous," Roy explained. "Captain's thinking is the Brass believe they'll cross the boarder into China any day now. Last thing we need is to get in the way when they and those warrior women mix it up."

Jack quipped, "We're dropping into a potential war zone, been there done that."

"That whole area is going to get hotter than a F-15's engine manifold," Roy replied. "My advice, once you hit Terrafirma find some transportation and haul ass out of there before the fireworks start."

"Lovely," Daniel rolled his eyes. Another mission where they had to run for their lives from a potential attack. He couldn't count how many SGC missions he'd been on that were like that.

Roy looked them all over and asked, "So, you guys are Special Forces?" He'd heard of Colonel Jack O'Neil from Captain Gloval. The old man had nothing but respect for the Colonel. The tall, dark quiet one seemed way to serene and calm for a leatherneck, but he was built like an ox and looked like he could take on a couple of Marines barehanded. Major Carter was Air Force, she didn't look like the hard as nails female soldier type to him. Finally, the guy with the glasses. Everything about him screamed "Civilian", but he carried himself like a man who'd seen a little bit of action.

"You could say that," Col. O'Neil replied.

**oOOOo**

Captain Henry Slovockavich Gloval ordered the U.S.S. Kenosha to ascend once they reached the GPS coordinates that had been selected for the launch site to deploy Colonel O'Neil and his team into China. When the semi-submersible aircraft carrier broke the surface the passive detected systems came online. The radiation signature from a naval class radar system lit up the boards. The Russian frowned, there weren't supposed to be any Chinese naval ship in the area. After ordering a fix on the radar source he swore when the results appeared on one of the bridge tactical displays.

"No joy, Captain?" Roy asked the old man. Roy and Captain Gloval had a relationship that went beyond the professional level on board the Kenosha. The ship had seen it first action during the invasion of Iraq, and it was during that time that Commander Fokker and Captain Gloval became close friends. Thus, their interactions on the bridge weren't quite as formal and strictly based on protocol like on other ships.

"Looks like a single carrier group one hundred miles off the western coast of Hong Kong," said Gloval in his thick Russian accent.

"Right between us and China," Colonel O'Neil groaned impatiently.

It had been a rough two days what with Daniel's queasiness, though he stopped vomiting after taking the pills, and the cramped quarters on the ship while they were running submerged. He was partially used it since all of the times they spent on Goa'ould space ships. Unlike those times he didn't have much to do except listen to Daniel prattle on about Joketsuzoku lore or what little he knew of it, and playing cards with everyone in the officer's mess. When he discovered the ship had as video-on-demand service for crew quarters with episodes of The Simpsons that cheered him up a little.

"I can still get them there," said Roy.

"Its damn risky as hell," Gloval objected. "You'd practically be skimming over the waves."

Cmdr. Fokker turned to one of the techs and asked, "Let me see their radar profile?" The tech acknowledged and a graphics appeared on the screen with a serious of numerical data.

"Typical Russian made P.O.S.," Roy said pointing at the screen. For Roy P.O.S. meant Piece Of Shit.

Major Carter looked at the data closely. Col. O'Neil had no idea what the hell he was looking at. T'ealc was unfamiliar with sort of display and Daniel was completely lost.

"They're blind to anything flying lower than eight-hundred feet," Sam finally said when she finished reading the data.

"The Iraqis used the same system," Roy interjected. "We flew right under it, and by the time they knew we were there it was too late. The Russians sold those things in bulk after the Communist party fell apart in order to make some fast cash. They have an impressive range of six hundred miles but got one hell of a blind spot."

Jack quipped, "You gotta love military surplus."

Daniel asked, "Eight hundred feet? Can we still jump at that altitude?"

Sam look back at him and nodded, "Easily."

"Swift action is necessary if we are to act before the North Vietnamese decide to deploy." said T'ealc.

Gloval put his hand on Fokker's shoulder. "Alright, Roy, take them in, but at the slightest sign of trouble bug out. Understood?" For Gloval, Roy was like the son he never had. His instincts told him it wasn't a good idea to mix personal feelings into this but he knew what Fokker was capable of. The man's piloting skills were impressive to say the least. It took a special pilot to become squadron leader of the Jolly Rogers. 

"Aye, aye sir." Roy saluted.

**oOOOo**

Lt. Cmdr. Crammer, Roy's second in command, escorted his small twin prop engine plane until they came within two hundred miles of the China coastline. The plane has a range of about six hundred miles without its extra fuel tanks. Its load that morning wasn't depth charges. Its normal role was as a submarine hunter. The underbelly of the plane was rigged with sensors which could detect the telltale signs of a submarine under the waves. Without such a heavy load the plane had a slightly greater range and it was faster. Not as fast as a F-15 Tomcat but could still get the job done.

Roy was used to flying at night. His eye piece HUD showed him the view of a low-light camera mounted on the nosecone of the plane. The little twin engine flier also carried enough ECM equipment to choke an elephant. If he had to jam the guidance system of a cruise missile or fake out the radar of a Mig he could do it with relative ease. Crammed into the small compartment in the back was SG-1 going over final equipment checklists and looking at maps. Each of them carried about two thousand in Chinese Yuan bills, maps of the region, assorted flares, ammo, a hold out pistol, standard issue machine gun they carried on all their SGC missions, T'ealc has his staff weapon, and Daniel carried a two-say shortwave with a digital scrambler.

"We're getting close," Roy said and it was heard over their noise dampening headsets which everyone on board wore.

"This is it," Jack told them and made his way up to the cockpit.

Roy nodded to him and said, "Fifteen more minutes and we'll be there, you'll have an hour and a half of darkness to do what you have to do and get the hell out of the area. I got a call from the old man five minutes ago, a column of tanks crossed the boarder from Nam about an hour ago."

"They didn't wait long," said jack.

"You're LZ will be some distance away from the fighting, but it won't stay that way for long." Roy warned him. The situation could escalate quickly and they didn't need to be tangle up in the mess when it started.

Jack asked him, "What about the warrior women? What are they doing?"

Roy shrugged his shoulders. "Right now we know jack-shit about what's really going on beyond snippets of news reports."

"Better get ready," Roy told him nodding his head forward to indicate they were almost there.

Their landing was relatively easy. T'ealc did a good job despite this being his first air deployment. They had to cut Daniel down out of a tree though. This region of China has seen little fighting between the Red Army and the Amazons. SG-1 used the cover of darkness to make their way through the city which was blacked out in places. They stayed in those areas to avoid being seen. After about twenty minutes they can upon a parking lot. Jack picked out a rather plane looking Chinese build van, bypassed the lock via pistol with a silencer, and hot wired the ignition. They were soon off on their journey to meet "The Red Queen".

Little did they know that their arrival hadn't gone unnoticed. Several Amazons had tailed them for some time. The large dark skinned one had almost noticed them a few times, so they kept a close watch on him. After listening to them for a while it was clear that these were Americans. A messenger was sent to the village to let them know visitors were on their way.

**oOOOo**

"Americans?"

Ranma looked up from nursing one of the triplets to regard Cologne with a questioning expression. The former matriarch of the Joketsuzoku and now official advisor to the court of Queen Ranma relayed to her news of the foreign visitors who had arrived in China several hours ago.

"Yes, four of them," said Cologne. "They are dressed as American military however only two of them have a military bearing."

Ranma asked, "Any idea why they are here and why only four of them?" She was a bit curious also. Perhaps the Americans wanted some intelligence on what was happening inside China. She didn't blame them for being curious and concerned considering everything that has been going on in this country. Certainly most of the world is worried about what is happening here.

Cologne nodded, "Their conversation was overheard. They are here to find you and speak to you on behalf of the American government."

Ranma's eyes went wide. "They want to see me?"

"You're ascension to the throne of the Joketsuzoku was never kept a secret and many foreign reporters have been speaking to our warriors," Cologne explained to her. "They spoke of you. It is likely the Red Queen is now well known throughout most of the world at this point." Cologne suppressed a chuckle. She was bearing witness to the fulfillment of ancient prophesy. The name of the Red Queen shall be heard by all the world and they shall speak her name. Leaders of the world shall send their messengers to seek her out. Those who have seen the ancient false gods shall come before the Red Queen and on that day prophesy shall be fulfilled.

"Alright, I want to know what these four Americans want with me," Ranma said to Cologne. "Have a group of warriors make contact with them, no hostilities, they are to be treated as friends until we learn their true motives. I want them to be kept safe until they arrive her at the village."

Cologne nodded, "It shall be done my queen. I also bring news of the situation at the North Vietnam boarder. The column of tanks entering our territory have been destroyed by our warriors." News crews had been on hand to see the battle first hand. It was a fascinating and horrific sight to see a band of women on foot going up against heavily armed tanks. But, the scene changed to one of astonishment as those same warrior women began tearing apart those same tanks literally with their bare hands. 

"Good," said Ranma, but she felt bad because there was so much loss of life.

She felt Cologne's small hand on her shoulder and looked up at her wrinkled old face. There had been a time long ago that Ranma hated that face, wanted to bash it in for all the hell the old woman had put her through, but after getting to know her and living with her for so long Ranma had come to love and respect Cologne a great deal.

"I know all of this death and destruction bothers you," she said quietly. "Change is is often never easy, often it comes without at least some strife, but in this case it is unavoidable. I would prefer that we secure this nation without any bloodshed, but that is impossible at this point."

"I know," Ranma replied. "At least we can try to minimize the destruction. Civilian deaths have been rather low except for those who died in the path of that thing's reentry wake. Speaking of 'that thing', any further word?"

Cologne shook her head, "Nothing yet, some of our warriors are guarding it to make sure none from the Russian Republic cross into Mongolia to investigate it without our permission."

Ranma sighed, "I have a feeling this is going to get even more complicated before long. Something is coming, I don't know what, but if we aren't ready for it I'm afraid we'll be swallowed up by it."

"I pray that you are wrong, Ranma." Cologne said with a very concerned expression on her face. She knew of Ranma's strange bond with the great tree which grew in the village and its visions it was making her see. Cologne didn't know what those visions were and a part of didn't want to see them. In truth, they frightened her. Prophesy, it was one thing to read about but it was quite another thing to actually see it unfolding before your eyes. If everything concerning the prophesy of the Red Queen was true the entire world was about to change, and for better or worse that change was coming. The arrival of four Americans was to be the catalyst, though she didn't know it yet.

**oOOOo**

To be continued...


	9. Chapter 6 Part 3

_The follow story is a work of fan fiction using characters that are copyrighted and/or trademarked. The purpose of this story is for fan enjoyment only free of charge. All original content is protected by Creative Commons License 3.0._

**oOOOo**

Michael "TheZorch" Haney's

"**Ranma Forever**"

**oOOOo**

Chapter 6 – Part 3: And So It Begins

One week after touch down the SG-1 team ran into a raging battle between Amazons, strange looking men who seems partially bestial, people with wings and invading forces from North Vietnam. It was safe to say the North Vietnamese didn't stand a chance. It was about that time that they ran to a group of Amazon women. Teal'c had mentioned several times that he thought they were being followed. Colonel O'Neil tried setting up a trap for them a few times to no avail, their pursuers were keeping a safe distance away. The Joketsuzoku explained that they'd been commanded by their queen to ensure nothing happened to them during their trip through China. So, the SG-1 team was lead around the battlefield, which was more a massacre than anything else, and took them deep into the rugged wilds of China.

With the detour it took them six more days to reach the Bayankawa mountain range on foot. Jack had tried to talk the warrior women into using a car but they refused each time. He and the four members of his team believed that they were all in pretty good physical shape due to all of training and missions. They soon learned that being in good shape was a matter of opinion. The Joketsuzoku seemed superhuman when it came to endurance. Teal'c was the only member of the group who could really appreciate the strength of these women. He often commented that they reminded him of his own people in many ways.

It was when they were a few days out from the village of Nyanchiczu that things stopped going so smoothly. At least for a certain archaeologist who was perhaps too curious for his own good. They'd entered the Josenkyo valley deep in the Bayankawa mountains, it was during this leg of their journey that Colonel O'Neil noticed a slight change in the demeanor of their hostesses. Teal'c was the first to notice it. As they entered a misty pass through the valley floor the Amazons had them stay close and in a tight group. Soon, thought the mist they began to see hundreds of tall bamboo polls still up in the air. Around each one was a large pool of water. The warrior women gave this place a wide berth, trying to avoid going close to it as much as possible.

"What is this place?" Daniel had asked, speaking Mandarin. He'd discovered that the language of these Joketsuzoku was entire Mandarin but an amalgam of Mandarin and an older language that had its origins in the steppes of Mongolia centuries ago. This further proved his theory that they were the descendants of the legendary Amazons of Greek legend.

One of the women looked in the direction of the pools and replied in her tongue, "Josenkyo, do not go near for it is a cursed and sacred place.*

"Josenkyo ... pools of sorrow," Daniel thought out loud as he translated the Mandarin word in his head. He'd remembered reading something that referenced a place called the Pools of Sorrow but he couldn't remember from where.

He asked, "Why is it cursed?" In his line of work old legends often had their roots in fact. This applied to anything involving the Ancients, the Goa'uld and the Asgard. Old Earth legends and myths could not be overlooked, because they had a tendency to be very real and often dangerous. Knowing what he knew now Daniel realized that many archaeologists had been very close to death several times. They had no idea that the seemingly primitive artifacts they unearthed were sometimes very dangerous pieces of alien technology.

"The knowledge of why has been lost to the ages, know only that it is dangerous to go near." the warrior replied. Soon the group was taken to a clearly that was still within sight of the springs. The leader, a tall purple haired girl with tanned skin, said that they would be camping there for the night. After the tents were pitched and the fire started he Josenkyo Guide came over to greet them.

It was later that night that Dr. Jackson slipped out of his tent and made his way over to the pools. They were fresh water springs, he recognized the monkey poles from his study of the far east and realized that this place had once been used for martial arts training long ago. He tried questioning the Amazons more about Josenkyo earlier that night but none of them were able to answer his questions or were choosing not to answer his questions. So, he decided until everyone was asleep before sneaking out.

He figured at least one Amazon was awake on look out duty, so he kept low the ground as he approached the springs. From his jacket he pulled out a sample container. He wanted to get a sample of the water for Sam to analyze later. If the curse of this place was caused by some kind of alien technology she might be able to tell from a water sample. Slowly, carefully he was about to dip the container into the water when he heard a footstep behind him.

"Daniel, what are you doing?"

"Getting a sample of this water for Sam," he looked back only to see Colonel O'Neil's silhouette in the waning campfire light.

Jack replied, "For some reason this screams 'bad idea', and coming from me that says a lot." He'd seen these warrior women do some amazing things. He'd seem only a little of the battle the Amazons were fighting and what he saw told him they didn't know the meaning of fear. So, when they suddenly show open fear of bunch of glorified puddles in the ground there just might be a good reason for why they're afraid.

Daniel was already dipping the first sample container into the water. "I'm only getting three samples, first form this pool and then two others," said Daniel. "What could possibly go wrong ... ok, I'm starting to sound like you now."

"Well, hurry it up before the one out on watch comes back and catches us here." Jack urged him. Daniel moved to the next pool, reached down and took the second sample. He secured it tightly, put it away and pulled out the next. The third and last pool he was going to get a sample had higher banks so he had to reach down to put the sample container in the water.

"Almost done ... Jack!" Daniel cried out as he felt an invisible force tug on his arm and pull him towards the water. O'Neil was at his side in an instant to grab him but wasn't nearly fast enough. All Jack could do was watch as Daniel vanished beneath the surface of the pool. He heard several footsteps behind him and turned around.

"Get away, this place is dangerous!" one of the Amazons yell pulling him away from the spring.

"Hey, one of my people fell in there," he pointed to the spring Daniel had fallen into. It was at that moment that a figure surfaced sputtering and gasping for breath. In the dim light they couldn't make out the person's features. Jack caught the reflection of the camp fire light on Daniel's glasses. He moved to help Daniel out but one of the warriors stopped him.

"NO!" she demanded. "Go no closer, tempt not the magic of the springs or they will pull you in." Heeding the warning Jack just watched as Daniel made it to the side of the pool and pulled himself out. By this time Teal'c and Samantha Carter were up and had joined the group after hearing the commotion.

"Jack, what happened?" Sam asked him, then she followed his haunted gaze to the figure sitting stunned on the ground. She recognized the clothes as those belonging to Dr. Jackson, she recognized the wire frame glasses, but the face and was totally different.

Teal'c took one look at Daniel and said, "It appears the fear the Joketsuzoku have for this place is indeed justified."

Jack for once had no witty comments on the tip of his tongue this time. "What are you guys loo .... what the hell happened to my voice?!" Daniel exclaimed in panic hearing not his normal voice but one that was considerably higher in pitch. Sam knelt down beside him and got a very good look at Daniel's face. The reason for the change was now quite apparent, and she was able to notice other changes as well beside just in the face.

"That isn't all that's changed," she said pointing to his chest. Daniel looked down to see a considerable bulge there that hadn't been there before. Carefully he opened the front of his jacket and put a hand on his chest. When his hand felt what was there his ... her ... eyes rolled up into the back of her head and passed out.

Jack finally came out of his shocked stupor and said while trying not to break out into a fit of laughter, "I guess we gotta call him Danielle now."

"Indeed," Teal'c deadpanned.

"Jack!" Sam reprimanded him while she looked Daniel over. "This is serious, Daniel has been physically transformed by something in this water. There is no telling how complete this change could be, whether its permanent and how it can be reversed." She didn't dare touch him, at least not yet out of fear the change could be due to nano-machines in the water.

One of the Amazons replied, "There is no cure, but the change can be temporarily reversed. Bring him, it is safe to touch him and we'll show you how to reverse his change." The Amazons, totally unphazed by what just happened as if they've seen it a thousand times before all left the SG-1 team and went back to the camp. Jack and Teal'c picked "Danielle" up off the ground trying not to cop a feel and carried her back to the camp with Major Carter following behind them. Eventually the now female Dr. Jackson sat by the fire in a fresh change of clothes which didn't really fit her anymore and was sipping a cup of hot chocolate.

"So, you say there is no cure yet his change can be temporarily reversed," said Jack to one of the Amazons. "I don't get it, you said there isn't a cure so how can he change back at all?" Two of the Amazons put a kettle of water on one of the stones ringing the camp fire to heat up.

"The curse is triggered by cold and warm water," one of the warrior women explained. "Cold water triggers the change and he becomes a she, and warm water reverses the change but only until he is drenched with cold water."

The Amazon who was apparently the leader added, "And, that will happen often as the curse also makes the victim a water magnet. He will find himself being splashed with cold water at some of the most embarrassing moments, with both cold and hot water. It is the nature of the curse. The only way to minimize that part of the curse is to accept it as a part of your life and not to fight it."

"How can I not fight this?" Dr. Jackson asked her looking up at her with distress in her eyes. She could feel that this change was more than just some kind of illusion. Her body felt different, she center of gravity was all wrong so she wasn't too sure on her feet yet, and her underwear was rubbing her in uncomfortable ways down ... there. No, this change was far more than an illusion or just and outward appearance. It was a total and completely physical transformation. Either this was real magic like the Amazons claimed or it was Ancient technology on a level they'd never seen before. Sam was thinking the same thing.

"Are there any others who have this curse?" Sam asked them. The leader nodded her head.

She replied, "The consort to a friend of the Red Queen has the curse, from a different pool so he does not become a girl, and the Prince of the Musk Dynasty has the same curse as your friend."

"How many of these curses are there?" Jack asked, when she said "from a different pool" something in him clicked and he immediately looked towards the springs. There were a lot of springs.

"As many as there are springs in Josenkyo, be thankful your friend fell into the Nyanniichaun or spring of drowned girl. At least he stays human, other springs transform you into animals." the Amazon explained. She went over to the fire and checked the kettle to see if it was hot enough now. Gingerly she picked it up and poured some over Daniel's head. Jack, Sam and Teal'c watched in shock as his transformation didn't happen slowly but was instantaneous. One second he was a girl and now he was back to normal faster than the blink of an eye.

"The change was instant," Teal'c observed.

Sam surmised, "I've never seen or read about anything that could possibly cause this kind of transformation to take place so quickly that you can't see it happening with the naked eye." She was nearly at a loss for words.

Daniel felt his chest, not feeling anything soft yet firm he sighed, "I'm a guy again, at least,"

Jack patted Daniel on the shoulder and asked, "Hey, you ok?" Dr. Jackson nodded, the relief on his face at being male again was unmistakable. "Good, look at it this way, at least you make a cute girl."

"Thanks Jack, that really helps," Daniel said sarcastically.

"I am surprised, most people who acquire a Josenkyo curse are usually in a panic and hysterical," the Amazon leader said to Daniel. "Of all the victims of the curse you seem to be rather calm."

Jack laughed, "When you've seen what we've seen and done what we've done something like this ain't a big deal." The Amazons looked at him with some confusion. He enjoyed the inside joke knowing there was no way these women could know about the Stargate program and the wild adventures him and his teammates have been on over the years.

Teal'c had been thinking and asked, "With as many springs as are visible from the fire light one would assume there is a spring of drowned man which should negate this curse, should it not?" His question was greeted by a look of horror on the faces of all of the warrior women.

The leader told them, "Never seek a cure to the curse using the Nanniichaun or spring of drowned man. The promise of a cure using that method is a trap, you'd lock you're friend into his cursed form for the rest of his life." The Jaffa visibly paled and Daniel gasped at the prospect.

"So, there really is no cure for this?" Jack asked. He looked over at Dr. Jackson, though he didn't say it he knew his friend and colleague could sense his heart went out to him.

The leader replied, "That is correct, you either learn to accept the curse or it destroys your life if you endeavor to resist it or find a cure. It is the nature of the curse."

Jack said, "Whoever made these curses was a real sadist." He couldn't really imagine himself living with such a curse and now here one is teammates and best friend has one.

One of the Amazons said, "The magic of the springs was created by the Old Ones." As if that explained everything. Jack just looked at her with an expression the easily read, "huh?"

Daniel's ears perked up at this. "The Old Ones, you mean the ancient god of antiquity from long before the god of ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian mythology?" he asked.

The leader nodded and replied solemnly, "Yes, the ancient dark gods who bore witness to the birth of this world and this universe and how now thankful sleep in distant dark places far from the reach of mortal beings."

"Dark gods?" Sam asked looking at Daniel.

He explained, "There are many ancient tales of a pantheon of dark gods who ruled the world long before the gods of the ancient classical civilizations. According to many ancient stories the younger gods banded together against them and drove them away. H.P. Lovecraft often used these Old Ones in his stories based on ancient writings that spoke of them."

"So, there's a real Cthulhu out there somewhere?" Jack asked, but he had a funny feeling he wasn't going to like the answer. Fighting big bad aliens just went with the job.

"Cthulhu?" Teal'c said questioningly.

"Big ugly thing with tentacles and a bad attitude," said jack.

Daniel replied, "Well, some say Lovecraft's works were purely fiction but much of his works were based on ancient texts from Babylonian and Egyptian mythology concerning great dark gods which once existed long before the gods they worshiped appeared."

"Could these Old Ones have been Ancients?" Sam asked him. They knew the Ancients were very old, on the oder of a few million years. It was a possibility.

Daniel shook his head. "I'm not sure, its possible but all of the information I've obtained about them says that they were benevolent, these Old Ones were said to be incredibly cruel." he told her.

"I am sorry to interrupt this discussion, but we should rest for we make for the village tomorrow." the Amazon leader told them. They all agreed and went back to their tents to get as much sleep as possible before the sun comes up. It was late in the morning when they woke and finally made the final trek towards Nyanchiczu. As they reach the top of the hill the first sight that reached SG-1 was the great tree.

Daniel looked back at Sam who looked up at the massive arbor with an expression of awe. It pretty much dominated the entire mountain niche where the village was nestled. The village itself sprawled out underneath the great tree as it it were stretching out its mighty branches to protect it. From this distance they could see what looked like structures attached to the great branches of the tree, rope bridges and walkways that round their up far up to the top. The Amazon village looked like many other villages SG-1 had seen on different worlds that wee preparing for or were engaged in a war or some battle. Joketsuzoku were everywhere doing different tasks. It was a scene they've seen many times on their trips through the Stargate.

"This way," the leader of their escort pointed towards the great tree and they made their way through the village. The Amazons glanced their way only briefly not really paying much attention to them. Dr. Jackson absorbed everything he saw as they went through the village. Just from observing their war preparation activities he was learning a great deal about these people. Indeed they exhibited behaviors and customs which were part Chinese and part Eurasian. Their ancient European Amazon roots were quite evident to his eyes, but it was subtle so only someone who was trained to notice such things could tell.

"Hard to imagine these little girls brought down the Chinese military all on their own," said Jack as he looked around at the relatively primitive looking village. There was some evidence of twentieth century technology but not much.

This elicited some rather harsh looks from the women who were within earshot. "Uh, Colonel, this is a matriarchal society, I don't think say that right now is a good idea." Sam warned him hoping to save off another Jack O'Neil foot-in-mouth incident. It wouldn't be the first time they would have had to fight there way out an armed encampment because of Jack's mouth.

"Remember, the Vietcong using primitive bamboo spike traps, old surplus World War II issue Russian AK-47s, improvised bombs and land mines, and limited supplies nearly defeated a high tech, well equipped army in the Vietnam War." Daniel reminded Jack.

Teal'c added, "I admire their warrior's spirit, it is not their technology which win the battle but their determination to crush their foes. In their eyes I see a flame burning, a fire I've seen in my own people. They are driven to win because they believe they cannot be defeated, and it is this which has allowed them to succeed." He received appreciative glances from their escorts for those words.

"Its probably just PMS," Jack quipped.

"Jack," Sam and Daniel signed together.

This was going to be one of those days.

**oOOOo**

"Milady, the Americans have arrived,"

Ranma looked up from her chair in the nursery where she was nursing one of her newborns to look at the young Amazon who peek into the room. Her mother sat opposite her holding one of the three tiny bundles in her arms as the child slept peacefully. Since her arrival and eventually acceptance of what happened to her son Nodoka had been growing fonder of her "daughter", but most of all she absolutely adored her newborn grandchildren. They were all beautiful. She'd almost forgotten how tiny newborns had been. Ranma had been a big child as an infant. She had the stretch marks to prove it.

"Have them wait in the guest area until I'm done here," she said. The Amazon bowed and slowly closed the door behind so as not to awaken the sleeping infants.

"Ranma, are you alright?" her mother asked. She regarded the older woman with a smile which was obviously forced.

"They made me their queen because of some ancient scrolls they found," said Ranma. "I don't know anything about being a leader, or a queen, or anything like that."

Nodoka smiled back and replied, "But you've been doing a pretty good job so far."

Ranma sighed, "That's because Cologne is my advisor. I'm sure if I didn't have her I be screwing things up."

"I wouldn't sell myself so short if I were you," Cologne said from the door. She quietly walked into the room just in time to overhear Ranma, her ever present staff slung over one shoulder. She went to the red head's side and sat down in a nearby chair.

She continued, "The peace we enjoy with the Musk Dynasty and the Phoenix Tribe were negotiated by you."

"I wouldn't call those negotiations," Ranma replied. "Its more like I earned their respect and trust after fighting with them for a few years."

Cologne smiled and said, "Because of you our current modernization plans got started. And, you have been doing a good job so far making decisions as Queen. I've only advised on a few things, not everything you've done." Ranma smiled at the ancient woman she regarded as a second mother. The infant in her arms stopped suckling, gently she laid the tiny girl on her shoulder and rubbed her back until she let out a little burp.

"That's the last one," said Ranma as she gently laid the infant in the crib next to her third sister. "I guess these kids really are going to take after me, they sure do eat a lot." She took the newborn from her mother and laid her down next to the other two. The three looked up at her briefly before closing their eyes and falling asleep.

"They're rather well mannered for newborns," Nodoka observed. "You kept us up the first six weeks we brought you home from the hospital, Ranma-chan."

The older woman was expecting a wince at the "chan" part, but she guessed Ranma had been living as a woman long enough that it didn't bother her anymore. Cologne was happy to see Ranma's mother was starting to get used to her son being a girl. She didn't really want to have to hurt the woman but she'd been prepared to kill Nodoka if necessary. It looked like that was no longer necessary, which was a good thing for both Ranma and her children.

"Ok, lets go see what the American's want," Ranma said quietly as they all left the room closing the door behind them gently. The three made their way down the walkways suspended in the great tree towards the guest area. This was the same place where Ranma's family had first arrived. It seemed almost a million years ago. For Ranma it was hard to imagine its been just a week since they came and since the fireball fell from the sky.

Cologne commented, "I spoke to the warriors who brought them here. They seem unusually calm and at ease with what they've seen so far, as if the unusual and the strange is normal for them."

Her eyes narrowed and she added, "The ebony skinned one has an unusual aura like nothing I've seen. Be careful in there." Ranma nodded.

"I'll probably just get in the way here," said Nodoka as she turned to head back in the other direction. "The girls are all up on the observation deck having tea with that nice young man who arrived a few days ago with all of those girls."

"You mean that, what was his name again?" she asked Cologne.

"Masaki Tenchi, I believe that was his name," the elder replied. "He and those girls also have strange auras, and what that one Ayeka had said about this tree was rather interesting."

"It does explain a lot," said Ranma who put her hand on the massive trunk of the tree, she could feel its power flow into her hand. "Do you think what they said was true, that this tree came from another world?" She looked at the ancient elder as if to gauge her response. The elder regarded her with eyes filled with great wisdom.

She said, "Its possible, our legends of the great tree tell of it descending from the heavens so there could be truth to what that one named Ayeka said about it. By the way, she is rather eager to have an audience with you after you're done here."

"Tell her I'm sorry for making her wait, things have been crazy lately." Ranma told her as they neared the guest structure.

Cologne laughed, "That's putting it mildly."

Ranma grasped the door handle and steadied herself. She said, "Ok, lets do this."

**oOOOo**

Nodoka reached the observation desk high in the tree just in time to hear the trailing end of yet another argument between the boisterous spiky, cyan haired girl named Ryoko and the dark purple haired girl Ayeka who had a rather distinct regal bearing. She held back a smile, they remind her so much of how the girls around her son come daughter had acted all the time. While Akane hadn't been quite as loud as that Ryoko girl she certainly had her temper. Ayeka was somewhat more composed, around Tenchi, but whenever Ryoko made a snide comment towards her Ayeka was instantly breathing fire. Tenchi, for his part, had a better control over the situation than her son ever had. He had the bearing of a martial artist about him, there was also something else she couldn't put her finger on. It was as if he was radiating a power of his own that ever she, a non-martial artist, could detect. The girls deferred to him a great deal and when he spoke up for them to stop they often listened. If only Ranma had commanded that kind of control over the girls back in the day. Oh, well, she couldn't dwell on things beyond her control. Those days were well behind her son come daughter now, she was happy the way she was and because of that Nodoka was a grandmother. She was in her happy place.

"Auntie Nodoka, was I ever that bad?" Akane asked her quietly after she sat down at the table. A tea service had been set and trays of delicious snacks beckoned.

Nodoka laughed behind her hands and said, "Not quit but close enough, Akane dear."

"My sister and Ryoko-san are always like this," the young girl with sky blue hair commented from her seat next to Kasumi and her husband. The girl was perhaps twelve years old and beginning to flower, Nodoka could tell her beauty would surpass her sister's in a few more years. She liked Sasami very much, probably because she was so much like Kasumi in many respects.

The red haired girl added, "They aren't as bad as they used to be, at least they haven't destroyed the house in a few years." Nodoka remembered her name was Washu, she rather mature for a girl of her age which was somewhere around Sasami's, but her eyes were her most striking feature. They were ancient, showing wisdom far beyond her years.

"Its like watching us fighting over Ranchan all over again," Ukyo said with a wistful smile as she remembered the good old days back in Nerima.

Kasumi smiled, "Oh my, they certainly are like that aren't they."

"We can hear you guys, we're sitting right here." Ryoko groused before taking a draw on a sake bottle.

Tenchi nervously scratch the back of his hand and apologized, "Sorry about this,"

"You two have done nothing but argue since we arrived," complained the beautiful green haired woman whom Nodoka remembered was named Noike. "It is disrespectful to our guests."

Nodoka respected that girl. Tenchi had a little control over the girls, but Noike was a different matter. When she spoke they listened instantly, she had a very strong commanding voice and seemed to know how to control younger people. She remembered Sasami saying something about the girl having lots of younger brothers and sisters. It showed. Noike was much like Sasami, very kind and sweet, but her personality could make quick one eighty when needed especially when Ayeka and Ryoko decided to have at it.

"I am truly sorry," Ayeka said bowing her head, her cheeks blushing profusely.

"Ain't the princess's fault she can't accept that Tenchi and I are so much in love," Ryoko then said.

Ayeka responded, "In your delusional fantasies perhaps, but it is Tenchi and I who are deeply in love. He could never love something like you." Sparks, visible to the naked eye sparks, flew between the two women as they glared death at one another.

"Oh, please don't fight again," the blond haired girl named Mihoshi scolded them. Its often joked how blond haired girls were ditsy and air headed. She girl took that stereotype and made it flesh. Nodoka could see in her eyes great intelligence, eyes that have seen a great deal of suffering, but she didn't show any of it in her personality.

"That's enough," said Tenchi scolding them. "How come you two have started fighting like this again? I thought we were behind all this."

"Its because they're worried this Ranma might take a liking to you and try to steal him away from them," said Washu in a matter-of-fact tone.

Nodoka looked at her puzzled for moment then Akane busted out laughing. "As if that would ever happen," she guffawed.

"Yeah, sugar, Ranchan isn't that flighty," Ukyo explained. "And besides, she just gave birth to her husband's children, she's happily married." Ayeka and Ryoko looked sheepishly at each other, their secret worries had been eating at the two of them and giving them short tempers.

"See, nothing to worry about," said Noike. "So please stop making things unpleasant for the rest of us."

**oOOOo**

First impressions are everything, or at least that's what the old saying says. Cologne's first impressions of the this group from America were mixed. She quickly recognized the bearing of a warrior in the ebony skinned man the moment her eyes fell on him. The one in glasses wasn't so much a warrior but she could see a great deal of intelligence in his eyes. The only woman among them was a fighter, she had the build of one, but her eyes showed more intelligence than anything. As for their leader, his aura and bearing screamed "Military" and yet he had a rather laid back personality. He was also something of a smart ass, which meant that he and Ranma were bound to bump heads at some point.

For the SG-1 team it was a different story. They were expecting an older woman in red to enter the room not the young girl who had entered and knelt down before them. She was dressed in robes which were both elegant and functional. Teal'c easily saw how the outfit was designed to mask the fact that it was made for fighting while looking regal. The big shocker was Cologne herself. At first Jack though the old matriarch was a pet monkey until she spoke up. The whole idea of a old woman as diminutive as a toddler was a major shock.

"So your government just wants to know our intentions," said Ranma after listening to Col. O'Neil for the past several minutes.

O'Neil replied, "Pretty much, we're here to find out exactly what it is you want and what you intend to do. Right now as it stands you're pretty much all there is for a government in China right now."

"Our intentions are to route out any last remnants of the old order and usher in a new one here in motherland," said Cologne, who had been silent up until now. "This nation will be restored to imperial rule as it once was before the communists too control."

"I think what Colonel O'Neil was asking was what are your intentions on an international level?" Major Carter asked, on her mind were all of the nuclear weapons that China had in its possession. Which were now in the hands of a new government, such as it was, and nobody knew what they had in mind.

"Look at this way, you are a small group which took own one of the world's biggest superpowers second only to the United States," Samantha continued. "Its got a lot of people nervous."

Ranma sighed, "They're worried about China's nukes."

"If that's what you're really worried about, let your people know that we intend to destroy all of the nuclear weapons in this country," Ranma told them after a pause.

Jack said, "The UN would probably want inspectors during that."

"They are free to come and watch if they want," said Ranma.

Dr. Jackson could see the obvious tension in the room. He himself had been a bit stunned at the beginning of his meeting. He wasn't expecting the Red Queen to be so … beautiful. "Uh, what are your intentions concerning the object that crashed in Mongolia?" Daniel asked

"That country's independence from China has not yet been addressed," said Cologne in response to Daniel's question. "As it is the object is under Joketsuzoku control at the moment."

Jack scratched the back of his head and said, "Well, there's a problem with that."

Daniel cut him off and said, "The problem is, we know its a spacecraft and our government is concerned that whoever figures out what is inside it first might gain a significant technological edge over the other countries."

"You mean your government doesn't want China controlling the object, that they want to be the ones with the technological superiority." said Cologne rather tersely.

"We don't know what's in the thing," said Jack. "It could be really dangerous for all we know, and I double you have scientists in your feminist paradise thing you're got going here."

Cologne bristle at those words and was about to verbally reprimand the male but his female companion beat her to it.

"Jack," Samantha scolded him. The others could feel the room somehow getting colder, yet it didn't seem like the place had air conditioning. Ranma knew loosing her temper here wouldn't be good, and thus employed the Soul of Ice.

Teal'c, whom had been silent since this meeting began spoke up finally and said, "Doctor Jackson and Colonel O'Neil have perhaps chosen their words unwisely. They express a concern of the United States government that the secrets of the spacecraft could potentially enter the hands of those whom would do harm with them. I am not accusing you of being the ones who would do harm, but there is the possibility that it could occur under the current circumstances."

Ranma sighed and said, "I'd allow a joint examination of the wreck with the United States, but only under the stipulation that whatever is discovered there is shared equally. There also cannot be any secrecy or cover ups otherwise there will be no deal."

"We know your government is obsessed with secrecy," said Cologne. "There are other nations which live with the threat of violence all the time, yet you have one terrorist attack and you become paranoid to the point of insanity."

Col. O'Neil pointed out, "Well, those other nations also didn't have two major skyscrapers knocked down by hijacked aircraft either."

"And the hundreds who die each year due to the violence between the Israeli and Palestinians doesn't count?" Cologne asked him angrily.

Major Carter threw up her hands and said, "Wait! This isn't getting us anywhere. Look, times for us are uncertain, we've never had anything like that happens to our country before so an overreaction is to be expected."

"Like I said, I would allow a joint investigation of the thing, but there is to be nothing held back and there is to be no secrecy." Ranma said again.

Cologne added, "Those are the terms and they are non-negotiable. What ultimately happens with the object once its been thoroughly explored and studied is for another discussion."

"We'll have to talk to our superiors about that," Jack replied.

Ranma had been thinking about this for some time and finally said, "We wouldn't object to some Red Cross assistance. There are a lot of injured people out there and the hospitals as I understand are pretty filled up to the bursting point. There were survivors in Beijing and all along the whole swath of destruction that thing made as it crashed, amazingly."

Major Carter nodded and said, "That is something we can certainly do. We're already involved in Japan and North Korea at the moment where some survivors were found in the destruction."

"Its amazing anyone survived at all, the pictures I've seen of Beijing show the city was pretty much leveled to the ground," said Cologne.

Teal'c replied, "The tenacity to survive the most dire of circumstances is one attribute of the human race that has always impressed me."

Ranma looked at him curiously. Something about what he said didn't sit right. She could feel is aura, it was rather unusual in comparison to the others before her. It reminded her of the strange aura given off by the others who had arrived not long ago. Tenchi and his personal harem.

"Yes, we do tend to persevere during the hardest of times," said Cologne whom also gave the ebony skin warrior another look and noticed his strange aura as well. She exchanged a silent message with Ranma using subtle hand gestures and body movement, an ancient and secret form of communication among the Amazons that dated back centuries.

Ranma focused her gaze on Col. O'Neil and asked, "This wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that your dark skinned friend over there isn't human would it?"

The ebony man didn't show any surprise but the expression on the faces of his colleagues told a different story. Both Ranma and Cologne smiled when they saw their attempt to hide their expressions.

"Teal'c is human like the rest of us," Samantha tried to correct her.

Ranma replied, "He's no more human than that boy and his gaggle of girl friends who showed up here from Japan not long ago."

Cologne added, "There are peoples who've lived in this region for centuries who are not entirely human. Therefore, we have a lot of experience in sensing who is and who isn't human. Your spiritual aura which all Amazons possess the ability to sense is perhaps the most effective way to detect the difference."

"So try pulling the other leg," Ranma told Sam as she looked right into her eyes. Samantha could see in those crystal blue eyes a powerful mind and intelligence, they weren't dealing with a fool here.

"We aren't at liberty to discuss that right now," Jack said finally.

Ranma waved her hand and said, "I guess that answer is good enough, for now. Lets continue this later at dinner. Our other guests will be there so its likely going to be an interesting chat."

Jack nodded and replied, "We can do that. In the meantime we'll get in touch with our superiors and let them know what you've said."

"Ok," said Ranma. She turned to Cologne and said something to her in Mandarin which only Samantha and Dr. Jackson were both able to understand.

Cologne told them, "We've had quarters prepared for you before your arrival. I'm certain that you must be rather tired from your long journey here. If you'll follow me."

Bouncing on her staff like a pogo stick Cologne lead the SG-1 team out of the guest area and up the swinging bridge walkways that wound throughout the branches of the great tree up towards another guest area separate from the one currently being used by Ranma's family. This one was much higher up in the tree and a natural opening in the canopy afforded them a view of the valley below and the sprawl of the village.

"I've seen some big trees before, but this is ridiculous," Jack commented.

Cologne explained, "An ancient legend says the tree descended from the heavens long ago. It possess a power and voice of its own. Our queen has a unique bond with the great tree, she is able hear its voice and understand what it is feeling. The night of the object crashed the tree protected this region."

"You're queen hears voices," said Jack with a curious expression on his face.

Cologne narrowed her eyes and said, "It was the tree which warned the queen of the impending arrival of the object from space."

Their guest quarters were surprisingly spacious but there were only three rooms. Sam and Teal'c were able to have rooms to themselves but Jack and Daniel had to share a room. There was a small balcony outside that overlooked the opening in the canopy of leaves and it also had its own stone hearth for cold nights.

"This tree is sentient?" Dr. Jackson asked her.

Cologne regarded him from a moment. While he wasn't a fighter by his build and the way he held his body she was impressed by his attentiveness and his eyes which looked at everything with such curiosity. He wasn't military by any stretch of the imagination despite his attire. He had the bearing of a learned man more than a warrior.

"Only the queen can say for sure," she explained. "There are a lot of mysteries surrounding this sacred tree, but I have a feeling our other guests might know something about it. We'll see tonight."

She pogo sticked over to the wall and pointed out a small rope hanging from a level. "I must leave you now, if you need anything pull his rope and someone will come and attend you." she explained.

After everyone put their gear in their respective rooms the team gathered in the main room of the guest dwelling near the hearth to talk. This first meeting wasn't anything like they'd expect it to be. They now had more questions than answers on their minds.

"How were they able to tell Teal'c wasn't human?" Jack asked Sam.

She shrugged her shoulders and said, "I'm not sure, but its clear that they were able to sense something."

"People who are spiritually attuned are said to be able to sense a person's aura," Daniel explained. "Typically the Tibetan monks are among the groups whom are said to have this ability. We know so little about these people or their ways so its hard to say what they are really capable of doing."

"They spoke of other non-humans living in this region," said Teal'c.

Daniel nodded, "The entire orient is awash in ancient legend and folklore of otherworldly beings coexisting with humans. There could well be a grain of truth to those legends."

Jack replied, "What sort of legends?"

"In this specific region, there are ancient stories of man beasts half-man half-animal," Daniel answered him as he read his notebook. "There were also legends dating back several centuries of winged people living in these mountains."

"We know aliens once lived on earth a long time ago," said Sam.

Jack replied, "Yeah, but weren't they Goa'uld?"

"Technically the Ancients would also be classified as aliens even though they are our predecessors," Daniel told him.

Teal'c spoke up and added, "It is possible that earth has been visited by many races over the centuries since the uprising against the Goa'uld."

"The general is so going to love this," Jack said as he dug the satellite phone out of his pack. He and Teal'c went to the balcony and setup the portal dish which could improve their transmission since they would be using encryption for this call. Little did any of the know their conversation at dinner time was going to be a major turning point for their mission. It was going to an event that changed everything.

**oOOOo**

Jack's little chat with General Hammond was an interesting one. He was right about the General's reaction to everything that was discussed. The fact that they could tell Teal'c wasn't human was a major revelation. A few hours after the team's remote debriefing the team received a call from the SGC on their satellite phone.

"This is Colonel O'Neil," Jack said as he answer the call. The rest of the team listened, each waring headphones with a mic so they could each respond.

"Colonel, I just finished briefing the President," said Gen. Hammond. "You're orders are to secure a cooperative agreement and peace accord with the Amazons at any cost, he's willing to accept their terms concerning the Visitor and will be briefing the UN Security Counsel concerning their plans for China's nuclear arsenal."

Jack looked surprised and said, "Well that sounds good, but I hear a big but in there somewhere." He knew Hammond long enough to know he seemed agitated by something, it was the tone of the man's voice.

"Unfortunately there is, we've learned that the Iranians are interested in forging an alliance with the current government of China." the general replied.

Sam looked at Jack in surprise and said, "This is the first we've heard of this, as far as we know we're the only foreign delegation here."

General Hammond told them, "Their delegation has arrived yet because of a blockage by what's left of the Chinese navy. Technically they still haven't surrendered and are working out amongst themselves what to do next."

"Do they intend to counter attack the Amazons?" Teal'c asked. It was on the minds of everyone. Those ships carried nuclear weapons and cruise missiles. Getting one here so far inland wouldn't be a problem.

"That is a possibility," said the general. "At the moment we have three carrier groups in the Sea of China on the Japanese side of the boarder. The President doesn't want this to escalate any further than it already has so we're trying to negotiate with them, but its slow going."

"If they launch a nuclear cruise missile into this area we'll have about ten to fifteen minutes to reach a safe distance," Sam pointed out this fact to Jack.

Daniel chimed in and said, "I don't think we'd be in danger. I remember Cologne said the tree protected this region."

"How?" Sam asked him.

"If this tree possess some form of power it would stand to reason it generated a shield over this land." said Teal'c.

"A tree, making a force field," Jack said incredulously.

"Compared to all that we've seen over the years, I'd say its possible." said Daniel.

General Hammond asked, "Is this that massive tree you mentioned?"

"Yes, general, we're in a house built in its branches right now," Jack told him. He looked out over the balcony at the ground below to judge their height. "I'd say we're about fifteen to twenty stories up right now, and that's only half way up this thing."

"Nothing like that has shown on satellite imagery." Hammond told him. That was also a surprise for the team, they looked at one another questioningly.

"Well, its here and its real, general." said Daniel.

After a pause the General continued, "Alright, SG-1 your orders are to forge a treaty with the new government of Chinese using any means necessary. I'll get back with you on everything else once we get more intel on our end."

"Yes, sir." Jack said with a salute though he knew the general couldn't see it.

"Well, looks like we've got our work cut out for us." Samantha said as Jack shutdown the satellite link.

To be continued...

Notes: I had intended to put the dinner in this chapter but I was running out of ideas, until I had an interesting idea of how to advance the story and incorporate the dinner into that. I've been fighting writer's block something fierce for a while now after deciding to start my professional novel. Also, most of this chapter is the original and most is new material because I had the document open when the power went out and I hadn't saved in a while. Luckily OpenOffice was able to restore most of the file and I only had to replace some of it.

Anyway, the next chapter will refer back to the dinner in flashback sequences. The story will be set further on into the future after the new government of China and the United States forged a treaty and start exploring the crashed ship together. In this time frame it will be five years later. No more spoilers from here on. Hope you liked this chapter and I promise to have the next one as soon as I can.


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